Health dept dismisses HIV grant reports

The health department has warned the public about false social media claims that people living with HIV will receive a R1200 grant from May this year.

The department says the information is fake and urges the public to verify messages with credible sources before sharing them.

A post of a news article headline has been doing the rounds on social media, alleging that the government has introduced a new grant which will benefit South Africans living with HIV.

Health department spokesperson Foster Mohale has urged South Africans to focus on their health and their medical treatment and not pay attention to rumours and hoaxes on social media.

“People living with HIV are urged to ignore this fake news but continue to take a life-saving treatment available freely in public health facilities to live longer and healthier. This is also important for preventing HIV from multiplying and reducing the risk of drug resistance and treatment failure,” Mohale added.