South Africa: Western Cape Premier Helen Zille Claims Success for HIV Raffle

Some critics blasted the effort as "cheap publicity" and a waste of resources, but early results indicate a cash raffle helped boost HIV testing in Western Cape province. "Preliminary indications are the incentive scheme significantly increased the number of people being tested, both at our network of clinics and at the special sites set up for the project," Premier Helen Zille said Wednesday. Between Nov. 28 and Dec. 10, the "Know Your Status and Win" campaign gave a raffle entry to everyone who took an HIV test at the province's 204 screening sites. In addition to the grand prize of 50,000 rand (US $5,974), the contest awarded five prizes of 10,000 rand (US $ 1,194). Some 10,631 people were screened at the official testing stations during the promotion. Between April and November 2011, an average of 65,516 people tested each month. "We expect the figure for December 2011 to be higher due to HIV testing sites not part of the campaign having reported a spike in members of the public presenting for testing, many of them making enquiries about the draw," Zille said. The provincial government maintains the expense was justified, as it could result in savings if more people undergo regular HIV testing.

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