Clearmark and its client Jhpiego South Africa, an NGO working in partnership with the Department of Health, are educating its target audience, mostly the rural communities, about Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) using the Pocketmedia’s Z-card.
Endorsed by the Mpumalanga Department of Health, the Z-CARD encourages citizens to live a healthy lifestyle and provides them with all of the information they need about HIV/Aids, TB and sexually transmitted diseases, how to use a male condom, and medical male circumcision (MMC).
“MMC reduces the chances of men getting infected by HIV by 60%, and reduces the transference of the Herpes type 2 virus, amongst other benefits, preventing cervical cancer,” says Melusi Ndhlalambi, chief of party, VMMC project.
One side of the card is printed in English and the other in Zulu, ensuring that the message can be easily read and understood by the target audience.
“The back cover of the Z-CARD® has been designed to interact with the client from the first contact (usually community mobilisation), to when they come to hospital, and post procedure. The card therefore serves as a hospital appointment card, which will provide the user with their community mobiliser’s and counsellor’s names and their booking and follow up appointment dates after the MMC procedure is done,” adds Vusi Mahlangu, HCT and Mobilisation Officer.
The Z-CARD® is being distributed through outreach social mobilisation events within the Nkangala district in Mpumalanga, and in communities via the KwaMhlanga Hospital, the Mmamethlake Hospital and the Kwaggafontein Community Health Centre.
