Roadside clinics help reduce STIs among truck drivers

Trucking Against AIDS is a joint project run by South African road freight companies, trade unions and government, which Sweden is co-funding. Since the start, 12 roadside clinics have given treatment for sexually transmitted infections to almost 100,000 people and distributed some 8.9 million condoms to truck drivers and sex workers.

South Africa's around 35,000 truck drivers are an extremely high-risk group when it comes to contracting and spreading HIV. The drivers spend a lot of time away from home and some visit sex workers at truck stops.

As part of the Trucking Against AIDS project, 12 roadside wellness clinics have been put up on trucking routes around South Africa.

At the clinics drivers are encouraged to be tested and get information on HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, STIs.

Since the start the clinics have received more than 4,000 visitors, 42% of whom tested positive for STIs. The clinics have noted a significant reduction in the prevalence of STIs.

Says Monde Qunta, or "Dr Condom" as the drivers call him, who works at a clinic in  Nelson Mandela Bay: "I have seen changes. The guys and women use condoms now and there are less STIs compared to when we started."

> Read more about Swedish-South African cooperation in HIV and AIDS