Why So Late, Barbados?

By Lyn-Marie Blackman
Bridgetown, Barbados
The HIV epidemic has been with us for the past 33 years with still no known cure. HIV prevention and regular testing has always been duly recommended by health professionals however this advice has not been so readily absorbed by many. In the month of June, HIV testing was conducted in Barbados as part of an annual regional testing event across the Caribbean. Although this is what many health authorities encourage; many are worried about the myriad cases of late stage HIV/AIDS diagnosis in Barbados. This worry was reflected in the statement of the then Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Elizabeth Ferdinand when she stated, “What is of concern for us is the alarming fact that many persons with HIV are being diagnosed at a late stage of the disease, when they already have developed AIDS.”[1]

The preceding statement from Dr. Ferdinand has not been very comforting at all for me as a Barbadian citizen because the longer a person waits to know their HIV status the more disastrous it can be. HIV is a very debilitating illness which has the potential to weaken a country’s economy by the costly HIV drugs that the health care sector has to budget for and the more people that are occupying hospital beds instead of being in the workforce can cause a regression in a country’s social and economic progress.

Therefore, I hit the streets to find out from the general public what were their thoughts on what the health professional stated and what may be spurring individuals in Barbados to come forward late for HIV testing. I was sourced with comments like “HIV is not something people want to know that they have” and “the fear of being positive is what will cause that”. Some further went on to state: “I trust my partner”, “I do not sleep around” and “I would rather not know.” So what solution can remedy this problem? The acronym HIV is scary no one can dispute that however no matter how the topic of HIV is presented; testing is and always will be very important to the HIV response. When you get tested you would be properly armed with the course of action that needs to be taken. If one gets a negative result then your aim is to stay negative and if one gets a positive result then make sure you receive efficient counseling, enter into a treatment program and adhere to your treatment regimen.


[1] http://www.caribbean360.com/news/barbados_news/late-stage-hivaids-diagnoses-worries-barbados-authorities

Combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and other diseases

HIV is a virus which destroys human immune system. In the early phases of disease, the individual has no indications. Be that as it may, as the disease advances, the invulnerable framework gets to be weaker. HIV is transmitted through unprotected sex, transfusion of not contaminated blood, sharing of needles and between a mother and her new born child amid pregnancy and labor. A large portion of the Africans are victims of HIV.

Malaria is brought on by a parasite called Plasm-odium, which is transmitted through the bites of contaminated mosquitoes. In our body, the parasites reproduce in the liver, and afterward contaminate our body cells. If not treated, fever can rapidly get to be life-undermining by disturbing the blood supply to organs. Dengue Virus resulted in numerous deaths in Pakistan.

Malaria and HIV and different sicknesses result in more than two million deaths per year.
In territories with malaria transmission, HIV expands the danger of malaria and fever in grown-ups.

HIV effected pregnant ladies who get to be malaria victims are at expanded danger of all the unfavorable results of malaria in their pregnancy.

• Almost 600 youngsters passed on each day of AIDS-related causes in 2012.


• Malaria intercessions spared the lives of three million adolescent kids somewhere around 2000 and 2012.

Mrs Shehnaaz from Islamabad is victim of AIDS who lives with 6 kids under her care: 3 young girls and 3 young boys around 1 and 13 years. She lost her spouse to the illness and is required to address her own particular needs and additionally those of the children she resides with. Individuals like Shehnaaz inspired Labor solidarity association to begin a system of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Mitigation. The association through this system has backed defenseless family units through their effective seminars.

Prevention of mother and Child transmission of HIV: A Pregnant HIV lady takes medicines in pregnancy and labor to combat the danger of passing HIV to their infants. Their new conceived infants additionally get HIV medication for 6 weeks after conception. The HIV medication diminishes the danger of disease from HIV that may have entered a child's body during labor.

•Needle Exchange: Always utilize new, unused needles or by flushing the needle and plunger with water each one time you utilize a medication syringe.

•Getting Tested: The best way to make sure of your HIV status is to get tested. With oral test, you can even get a cheek swab and get your results in 20 minutes.

•Get Lotions and Safety Nets: To battle Malaria it is imperative to utilize nets and creams which don't permit mosquitoes to draw close to you and don't let any water stand adjacent your spots especially after Rain.

To conclude it’s on us to take best care of ourselves and avoid everything which is prone to these diseases as if we do self-safety and get careful with every step these diseases can never come near us.

By Mishaal Shahzad
Islamabad
Pakistan

The Battle against HIV & AIDS in Kenya

It is estimated that more than 33 million people in the world today are currently living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). It is also estimated that more than 30 million people have died from HIV-related complications since the earliest cases were detected in the early 1980s. While it is trite truth that huge progress has been made to increase access to HIV treatment in the past twenty and more years, and that new HIV infections have significantly declined in some regions, the pandemic, nevertheless continues to wreck havoc in many more areas and efforts to control it seem distant.The number of newly infected people each year in most scenarios far outnumbers those who gain access to treatment by an estimated two to one ratio.

It is reported that Kenya has the fourth largest HIV epidemic in the world. In 2012, out of a population of about 40 million, an estimated 1.6 million individuals were living with HIV and there were approximately 98,000 new infections. The HIV & AIDS epidemic in Kenya has since been often referred to as being generalized. In essence this means that it affects all sections of the society including children, youth, adults, women and men alike. According to a Kenya AIDS Response Progress Report, a concentrated certain group of Kenyans are more susceptible to contracting the virus due to their vulnerability to HIV transmission.

These groups can be categorized as follows;

a) Men who have sex with men (MSM)

b) Persons who inject drugs (PWIDs)

c) Sex Workers

d) Women and young girls 

HIV prevalence among MSM in Kenya is almost three times more than the general population. Condom use among this group is reportedly fairly low. It is important to note that sexual relations between men remain illegal in Kenya and can carry a prison sentence of about 21 years if found guilty. Homosexuality is thus largely considered taboo and repugnant to the cultural values and moral code of the Kenyan Nation. This stance leads to high levels of stigma and discrimination towards MSM as well as towards other members of the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender community in Kenya. This often acts as a huge barrier and deterrent for these individuals to seek HIV treatment and testing.

I will not belabor with the jurisprudential arguments on the law and morality and how these two are either distinct or analogous hypotheses. However, what I would like to direct your attention to the Kenyan Constitution in specific to Article 43(1)which guarantees every individual the highest attainable standard of health-which is important to the realization of the right to life. Articles 26,27 and 28 in my mind also suggest that everyone has a right to life and that everyone shall be subjected to equality and freedom from discrimination in every sphere including access to medical care and treatment irrespective of sexual orientation or preference.

Granted, the Kenyan Government has made significant contributions to addressing the HIV & AIDS pandemic but a correlation and consistency remains to be seen in theory and in practice. One of the greatest strides taken was in 2006 with the enactment of the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control ACT 2006 which establishes the first ever tribunal (only one in the world) to handle legal issues relating to HIV, including discrimination against people living with HIV and protecting the confidentiality of medical records. Since its establishment in January 2012, the tribunal has received 400 complaints, admitted 14 cases and delivered two judgments.

Although the HIV prevalence among the general Kenyan population has fallen with rigorous campaigns around testing at VCT centers, sensitization and education campaigns as well as free ARVs medications provided at Government clinics, women and young girls unfortunately continue to be disproportionately affected by the epidemic. In 2012, Government statistics report that 6.9 % of women in Kenya were living with HIV compared with 4.2 % of men. Young women aged 15- 24 in Sub-Saharan Africa are almost three times more likely to be living with HIV than men of the same age. This can be attributed to discrimination that women and girls face in terms of access to education, employment, healthcare to name but a few. As a result, men will often always dominate sexual relations with women not being able to practice safe sex even when they know and understand the risks.

In the wake of the recently publicized partnership between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Nike Foundation and the U.S President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) on a $ 210 Million initiative to reduce new infections in adolescent girls and young women, governments in Sub-Saharan countries should also accelerate efforts in prevention initiatives targeted at the most vulnerable groups as identified. More people should be encouraged to know their status and thus be able to access treatment, care and support regardless of other collateral factors. The Kenyan Government should also work on overcoming social, cultural and legal barriers that hinder access, treatment and testing of all its citizenry. Leaders should also start thinking of sustainable ways to scale up and fund existing prevention and treatment efforts to curb HIV & AIDS.

By
Kate Kiama