A routine session of the South African National Assembly took a powerful turn when Ms. S.T. Xego of the African National Congress (ANC) posed a thought-provoking question to Deputy President, Paul Mashatile.
By Noko Mashilo
Her inquiry cantered on the often-overlooked role of men in curbing the HIV epidemic, especially in light of the recent launch of the BetterMen4Tomorrow campaign, an ambitious initiative aiming to connect 1.1 million men to HIV treatment and reshape male engagement in public health.
The moment sparked a broader conversation about gendered responsibility, stigma, and South Africa’s long-standing battle against HIV.
In his response, Deputy President Mashatile, who also chairs the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), emphasized that the fight against HIV and AIDS can no longer afford to leave men behind.
“Men indeed play a critical role in ending HIV. Perhaps that is why on World Aids Day that took place last year on the 1 December 2024, we officially launched BetterMan4Tomorrow campaign in collaboration with SANAC men’s forum sector and various men’s commission,” said the Deputy President.
He further said the campaign received backing support during a joint session of the fourth Men’s parliament held in Cape Town on the 7 December 2024. “The BetterMan4Tomorrow campaign will strategically establish a coherent network of change urgency committed to improving men’s health across South Africa with a target of reaching 1 million people through a comprehensive advocacy, communication and social mobilization initiative.
These initiatives will also seek to encourage regular health visit for physical mental and psychological health check up every six months, address high risk behaviour including excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, substance abuse, poor diet habits, lack of physical activity and high risk sexual behaviour, encourage adherence to treatment, promote a stigma free environment and for those seeking health care assistance,” explained Mashatile.
He also said BetterMan4Tomorrow campaign support the broader HIV treatment campaign that was launched by Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi on the 25 February 2025. “This campaign is better known as the close gap aiming to reach 1.1 million people living with HIV and also plays them on antiretroviral treatment. In this regard, Bettermen4tomorrow campaign will target 650 000 men and adolescent boys as a contribution to 1.1 million people to be initiated or reengage of retroviral treatment by 31 December 2025,” he said.
Mashatile also said the men sector will leverage its strength in awareness raising, advocacy, collaboration with experience practitioners in clinical health care and related services to enhance capacity and ethnicity in this effort. ’ “BetterMan4Tomorrow campaign is guided by milestone and key timelines on a quarterly basis. During the first quarter of 2025, the focus is promoting awareness around the campaign itself and also generating demand on health services amongst adolescent boys and men leveraging various events including customary men, initiation schools and sporting events. In the second quarter, the campaign will seek to enhance partnership and collaboration with traditional health practitioners and faith based communities for effective referral of adolescent boys and men to health services. Districts and provincial men’s parliament will also be used as a platforms for this purpose. Other quarter, the men’s movement will document success stories across South Africa in supporting the sustainability of the campaign activities,” said Mashatile.
He also aid these activities will move beyond dialogue, action, encouraging, disengage men to return to health facilities, adhere to treatment, support a long term culture of health seeking and behaviour amongst men and boys. “We urge South Africans to support this and related campaigns in order to achieve better health outcomes for all our people as we strive to achieve UNAIDS’ 95-95-95 targets, which aim for 95% of people living with HIV to know their status, 95% of those diagnosed to be on treatment, and 95% of those on treatment to achieve viral suppression,” he concluded.
