SANAC pays tribute to nurses on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 on this International Nurses Day

Deputy President David Mabuza in his capacity as Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) has today, Tuesday, 12 May 2020 in commemoration of the International Nurses Day, saluted South African nurses for their service in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease.
 
In line with the 2020 theme of ‘Nursing the world to health’, Deputy President Mabuza has lauded the meaningful role played by nurses in the fight against COVID-19, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB) in the face of current unprecedented workload of tracing, testing and treating patients with COVID-19, while also keeping with other essential health services. 
 
"We take this opportunity to convey our special and sincere gratitude to all our Nurses throughout the country, for their dedication in providing healthcare support to our people. Through their dedication and commitment, Nurses play an important role in saving lives of our citizens by providing quality treatment and care,” said Deputy President Mabuza.
 
"Whilst our country and indeed the whole world is confronted by the COVID-19 virus, which affects all elements of the social and economic fabric, it is our nurses as frontline workers, who care and instil hope in the minds of the patients," said Deputy President Mabuza. 
 
Deputy President Mabuza called on South Africans to celebrate the nurses as unsung heroes who risk their lives in the frontline of this fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic to save others. Through SANAC, he called on all South Africans to screen for HIV and TB so that they may be put on treatment and as such they won’t be worse off should they be infected by COVID-19. 
 
Equally, those that are already on treatment for HIV and TB, are implored to continue with their treatment uninterrupted so that their bodies can withstand the infection should they get infected by COVID-19. This is an opportune moment for all South Africans to know their status so that we take the necessary actions about our life.
 
In this regard, we are called upon to work together as partners, to contribute in the fight against this battle through ensuring that:
 
*Everyone knows their health status; 
*Trace, find, diagnose and place on treatment the missing TB patients; 
*Intensify the fight against stigma and discrimination against those infected with TB, HIV; and extend our support to those testing positive to COVID-19 virus.    
 
"We further call on all our people across the country, to observe this important day, the International Nurses Day by expressing messages of gratitude to all our nurses who are at the frontline of our health care service in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic," said Deputy President Mabuza. 
 
The International Nurses Day is observed each year around the world on 12 May, to mark and recognise the significant contribution that nurses make to society. 


Media enquiries: Sam Bopape on 082 318 5251 
 
Issued by: The Presidency 
Pretoria