A GNA FEATURE BY B.A ADOM

Accra, April 13, GNA - One of the greatest challenges confronting today's world is the menace of HIV/AIDS, which by all indications is a big catastrophe confronting contemporary society since both the sexually active and non-sexually active stand the risk of getting the virus with the slightest mistake.

Many are those who have carried out research on the pandemic - biological and social scientists, herbalists, scholars and students - but all efforts in the fight to break the back of this pandemic still remains elusive and more and more money is being spent to combat it annually.

The virus continues to claim more precious and productive lives day by day with overwhelming death tolls annually, even though a scientist in Ghana has recently claimed that he could use goat serum to cure the disease but as to whether this is scientifically tried, tested and proven to be efficacious is yet to be conclusive. A 2002 research finding puts the global daily infection rate at 6,000 - made up of adults and adolescents between the ages of 15 years and 24 years.

This report further stated that when children under 15 years are included, the daily infection rate could rise to as much as 8,000, while the survival time to death was between eight years and nine years. What would be the implications of this revealing statistics when related to the current situation with regard to prevention, treatment and care? The cost would no doubt be enormous.

Another dimension is that as the pandemic continues to spread, it has also become clear these days that post- infection period is characterized by the problem of stigmatization of and discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients.

Research has shown that these manifest in various forms such as physical, psychological and emotional violence including divorce which further worsens their plight and living conditions as most of them are often branded as prostitutes, outcasts and least important people. This situation puts many of the patients into a constant state of anxiety, depression and sometimes death.

Thus, justifying the need to explore other causes of the epidemic because quite apart from the traditional mode of transmission, heterosexual intercourse, its has also been found that socio-economic circumstances could also reinforce all kinds of relationships as Dina Dixon concludes in her study that 'even though it is inconclusive, poverty may lead to a certain kind of relationship between the opposite sex that may predispose them to HIV infection', when for instance people engage in transactional sex in a multiple relationship. Again, the Former UN Secretary General, Busumuru Kofi Annan also underscored the links between poverty and HIV/AIDS when he said: 'extreme poverty is a violation of human dignity; a threat to the right to life and the condition that prevents most vulnerable groups from exercising their human rights.

A right to education by every child of school going age is a constitutional requirement; however, many pupils drop out of school either because of teenage pregnancy or inability to pay fees. For some too, they have not made the required grades to enter second cycle or tertiary institutions.

Thus, culminating in their inability to fend for themselves since most of them have not learnt or acquired any form of vocation to earn sustainable livelihoods.

This unfortunate situation compel most of them to compromise their moral obligations in order to engage in transactional sex with a view to making some money to cushion them in various ways due to poverty. Some are even trafficked over very long distances, with their air tickets including all other expenses paid for them on credit, with a view of coming to work in brothels to service their debts.

The enormity of this human catastrophe is a cause for concern and, therefore, becomes a challenge to all since it has reduced and continues to reduce life expectancy in many developing nations; not to mention the colossal amount of money being spent for treatment, care and support systems.

When for instance life expectancy reduces, a country's gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate would be affected negatively since that nation would have to import to meet the shortfalls. This leads to deficit financing and subsequently causing economic dependency syndrome in many developing countries.

The incidence of HIV/AIDS having links with gender mainstreaming is evident when viewed against the backdrop certain socio-cultural practices in some African countries.

When it comes to sexual matters in Africa and for that matter Ghana, ladies play a subservient role. Men could marry as many wives as they prefer in customary marriages. Young girls in certain communities are also encouraged to go into early relationships out of which marriages could occur. In their ignorance or negligence to experiment with sexual practices they may be infected with HIV. This is why it is necessary to step up basic education or sensitization on human rights in order to reduce the incidence of rape, non-use of condoms and showcasing of programmes in schools within the communities, villages and districts. This could contribute to bring about gender equality.

It is also important to emphasize the need to introduce sex education into the educational curricular at the basic schools so that pupils would know how to maintain themselves to avoid contracting unwanted pregnancies and its attendant problems. There is the need to embrace the call by policy makers to introduce health economics in the educational curricular, particularly in the training of health professionals and educational instructors as this would enhance teaching and learning and bring efficiency in healthcare systems in policy formulation, planning and implementation in Africa as a whole and Ghana in particular.

Ways should be found to create jobs for the youth or assist them by way of granting them micro-credit facilities as well as leasing or allocating land to those, who might want to go into agriculture or to establish small and medium scale enterprises. 13 April 09