“Why so much noise on HIV/AIDS while malaria kills more people in Ghana than AIDS?” This was the question posed, when I attended an interview recently. Although malaria kills more people, the devastating nature of AIDS and its related challenges are numerous and prove difficult to be managed, controlled and eradicated.
For instance, the BBC report captured in the Daily Graphic of the 6th June 2007 edition indicates that 1000 people die of HIV/AIDS related diseases in South Africa daily. This is affecting their economy as productivity has reduced and labour cost has increased due to bereavement and absenteeism. In Ghana, the 2006 HIV Sentinel report reveals that 88% of all HIV positive individuals fall below age 35. Out of this, 30% are between 15 and 24 years. Do we then wait till AIDS blight the active citizens of Ghana just as it has affected South Africa? Who are those to heal our economy? What then happens to enrolment in our secondary and tertiary institutions? Does it suggest that the government’s efforts to boost skilled labour will be in vain since in no time most of these people will be debilitated by AIDS?
Obviously, we need to campaign against AIDS so that it does not stretch its icy hands on our MPs as well. The same article of the Daily Graphic comments on the death of 28 MPs in Malawi by AIDS. Do we keep quiet till our MPs and public figures succumb to AIDS before we intensify the campaign against AIDS? What then happens to our infant democracy and parliamentary proceedings? We should not underestimate the work of the MPs and assume that we can all perform similar functions if we are given the same opportunity.
Why shouldn’t we make noise on HIV/AIDS, if the cost of providing health care for PLWHA is estimated at $ 9.4 million, besides 11 billion cedis being cost of preventing mother-to-child transmission yearly. (HIV/AIDS in Ghana, 4th ed.). Moreover, the World Bank, WHO, USAID and other organisations have spend millions of Dollars on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment than any other epidemic or disease in Ghana. Some questions many people usually ask are: “Couldn’t the government have created employment avenues with this money?” “Could there be any proper development while the government and other donor agencies spend so much on HIV/AIDS to the detriment of other sectors of the economy?” Much as the above questions are legitimate and one cannot begrudge those who ask them, we cannot reduce the issue of dealing with HIV/AIDS as a mere waste of resources.
Moreover, the noises cannot cease, while people continue to brand and label PLWHA as unworthy of human community and, are abandoned by relatives and friends. The situation is further exacerbated when PLWHA are denied employment opportunities. This creates the feelings of depression and dejection, which often siphon the little residual energy they have to carry themselves about. The future seems gloomy and they lack faith for survival. Therefore,HIV/AIDS should be seen as a national development issue rather than a health issue.
To those whom HIV/AIDS has become a platitude, the following facts must be elucidated. First, both malaria and HIV/AIDS are epidemic, which affect the cultural, political, social and psychological aspects of our national life. However, malaria is a disease, but HIV/AIDS is more than a disease: it is a syndrome that predisposes the infected person to various disease conditions, including malaria.Also, people suffering from malaria may have less trepidation, but PLWHA are always stigmatised and discriminated. Besides, malaria has a cure, but AIDS does not. Malaria may be prevented by collective effort to keep our environment clean, but people become infected with AIDS notwithstanding the carefulness to abstain, to be faithful or to be protected. Some people become infected through their unfaithful spouses, while innocent women and girls become infected through rape, defilement and female circumcision. Others are also infected through skin piecing, tribal marks and compassion for victims at the scene of accidents.
Perhaps the noise on HIV/AIDS will die out, once we find a cure for AIDS and Ghanaians are fully educated on HIV/AIDS; prevention, treatment and care for PLWHAs. Moreover, the noise on HIV/AIDS will be assuaged, especially when the culture that makes women and girls vulnerable together with other factors that engender the spread of the virus is utterly rescinded.
From the enormous medium and long term challenges of AIDS in some parts of Africa and the rise of the prevalence from the previous 2.7% to 3.2% after two years of decline, it can be concluded that even less noise have been made over the years, hence the need to make more noise in order to avert any possible appalling challenges and further rise in the prevalence. However, this does not mean we should be silent on malaria and its devastating consequences.
Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.
