THE CHALLENGE OF AIDS IN AFRICA

By Wangari Maathai Reprint | | Print |

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NAIROBI, Nov 1 2004 (IPS) - The devastation that HIV/AIDS is wreaking in Africa in the midst of abject poverty and abandonment is of a severity and scale found nowhere else. It silent, misunderstood, and overwhelming threat to peace and security on the continent, writes Wangari Maathai, recipient of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. We in Africa must encourage a freer and more enlightened debate on the HIV/AIDS threat, the author writes in this article. We must at the same time learn from our own successes in the fight against the disease. In Uganda 15 years ago the fear was that HIV/AIDS could destroy the whole society; today we see a dramatic improvement, largely because of the responsible political leadership of President Museveni. HIV/AIDS is a global challenge for both political and religious leaders. While we need the encouragement, support, and cooperation of the rest of world, we also need the respect and trust that some of the solutions will emerge from our own value systems.

The devastation that HIV/AIDS is wreaking in Africa in the midst of abject poverty and abandonment is of a severity and scale found nowhere else. It is a silent, misunderstood, and overwhelming threat to peace and security on the continent.

Walking around villages where I see people burying the dead beside the graves of their relatives, the reality of losing millions to AIDS-related illnesses leaves me and fellow Africans with tremendous pain and fear for the future.

Soon we will have nearly 15 million children orphaned by the disease. Homes stand empty because all the occupants have died. In others, older children abandon school to care for their siblings, making children extremely vulnerable as they face the future alone. It is an unprecedented challenge for Africa.

It is important that the right information reaches local communities not only to inform but also to empower them. Local communities need to take the disease seriously, get tested, and curb the spread of the disease. Married women, when they know that their husbands are infected, must have the right to say no to unprotected sex.

Women and girls are especially affected by HIV/AIDS because of their socialisation and economic position in society. Unable to access education and medical care and lacking property rights, girls are increasingly victims of violence, rape and prostitution. Yet they are expected to be caregivers when people fall sick. Of particular concern are the many poor girls for whom it seems selling sex is the only possible survival strategy, which puts them at high risk of being infected.

What became of moral values and the responsibility of the adults to protect children and the vulnerable in society? How about justice and equity? What other options are there? Is anyone listening? Anyone caring?

Like many others I wonder about the theories on the origin, nature, and behaviour of the virus. I understand that there is a consensus among scientists and researchers internationally that the evolutionary origin may be in Africa even though there is no definitive evidence. I am sure that the scientists will continue their research so that the view, which remains quite widespread, that the tragedy could have been caused by biological experiments that went terribly wrong in a laboratory somewhere, can be put to rest.

It is important for me to state that I neither say nor believe that the virus was developed by white people or white powers in order to destroy the African people. Such views are wrong and destructive.

To battle HIV/AIDS, it is essential that we uphold the positive societal values that held our traditional societies together, through abstinence amongst the youth and faithfulness by both partners in marriage. Today, condom-use is an option. What is important is that all available options are used properly and responsibly.

As I have said repeatedly, I am not an expert on HIV/AIDS and therefore, have never claimed to have the answers. But faced by its monumental impact in my society, I do inquire. When my advice is sought, I say that I really do not know and that I depend on what I hear or read, because I am privileged to be able to read and write. It is important to understand the questions presented to me and my responses to them in the context of the cultural and economic environment of my country.

I have warned people against false beliefs and misinformation, like the notion that the disease is a curse from God or that sleeping with a virgin cures the infection. These prevalent beliefs in my region have led to an upsurge in rape and violence against children.

We in Africa must encourage a freer and more enlightened debate on the HIV/AIDS threat. We must at the same time learn from our own successes in the fight against the disease. In Uganda 15 years ago the fear was that HIV/AIDS could destroy the whole society; today we see a dramatic improvement, largely because of the responsible political leadership under President Museveni. Male leaders in all parts of Africa should look for inspiration to former presidents Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, who are spending much of their time and effort fighting the pandemic.

The fact that HIV/AIDS presents a threat to peace and stability in the continent has been discussed in the Security Council of the United Nations and voiced as a particular serious concern by Secretary General Kofi Annan. I fully agree and believe that HIV/AIDS should be made the first priority on the political agenda of the Africa Union.

We in Africa cannot win the battle against HIV/AIDS alone. We need global understanding of the cultural context, solidarity and practical support, including allowing the production of generic drugs for greater access, poverty elimination and improvement of the nutritional status of the people. This is a global challenge for both political and religious leaders. While we need the encouragement, support, and cooperation of the rest of world, we also need the respect and trust that some of the solutions will emerge from our own value systems. (END/COPYRIGHT IPS)