ACDP calls for alternatives to dealing with HIV/AIDS and crisis pregnancies

Cheryllyn Dudley MP


The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) feels a measure of triumph in the theme that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has chosen for World Health Day this year.

The theme "making every mother and child count" brings the focus back to the daily importance of mother and child whom can be seen as the pulse of society.

In reflecting on this, the ACDP would like to highlight two challenges facing the women and children of South Africa today;

It is no secret that we have long campaigned for the roll-out of anti-retrovirals to pregnant mothers in order to avoid the transmission of the HI virus from mother to unborn child.

Now that most of these programs (not without holes) is underway, the ACDP wishes to highlight a strategy that could save more lives. It is necessary to empower and assist women to make choices that will lead to life and not death. It is also critical that men and women remain faithful in a married relationship. At the same time, government must ensure that partners have adequate access to protection in situations where infidelity is a reality.

Furthermore, we feel that there is still not enough being done to enable mothers not to feel pressurized into terminating their crisis pregnancies.

Instead of introducing more facilities where abortions can be performed on demand, it should be noted that genuine alternatives in times of crisis do exist. Not enough is being done by government to allow women to make choices that truly are in the best interest of themselves and their children.

We salute young men and women for having the courage of their convictions and not allowing themselves to be pressurized into being sexually active.

It matters not that we set aside one day in a year to uplift women and children; our obligation is to ensure that we make every day count.