HIV/AIDS stigmatisation - Victim Speaks Out

-Spanks the Media.
-Challenges national prevalence figures and advocates free ARTs

Day after Day, people living with HIV/AIDS virus are being ejected from their houses, sacked from their work places, loosing their friends and starving as a result of stigmatisation of carriers of the disease, which is noted to be very high among Ghanaians.

Even though Ghana benefits significantly from the Global Aids Fund, a strip overview of the situation by the Enquirer’s health monitoring team reveals a chilling picture of HIV/AIDS situation in the country.

As authorities of the National AIDS/STI Control Programme (NACP) fantasizes about Ghana’s chances of bagging more millions of dollars from the Global AIDS Funds, An HIV/ AIDS Patient, Mr. Kojo Awuku Bokoe is accusing them of doctoring national AIDS prevalence rate in order to please the world body.

2006 AIDS epidemic update on Ghana compiled by the UNAIDS indicates that, the prevalence figure was pegged at 3.6% in 2003, before the country was handed an amount of $40million to embark on the control programme.

Right after the NACP took effect, the national prevalence rate was quoted as subsequently declining to 3.1% in 2004 and 2.7% in 2005 (National AIDS/STI Control Programme, 2006)

The recent national prevalence rate is officially pegged at 2.22% and 3.2% among pregnant women according to Dr. Nii Kwei Addo, the Project Coordinator of NACP.

Mr. Bokoe, also the Executive Director of Young Activists against AIDS, alleges that HIV/ AIDS disease is on a rapid increase in the country to the blind sight of the world bodies, because there is a plot to misinform foreign donors in order to receive applauds for undeserved hard work.

The Project Coordinator of the National AIDS/STI Control Programme, Dr. Nii Kwei Addo, told the Enquirer in an interview that application for the Global Aids Fund is not a ‘child’s play’.

He said Ghana has been granted an amount of $40million towards the objective of management of opportunistic infections, counselling and prevention, providing services for management of sexually transmitted infections and supporting people living with HIV associations.

Ghana is expected to roll into the second phase of the global AIDS campaign beginning 2008.

The Global Aids Fund is a fund supported by world rich countries, private institutions and individuals and granted to qualified countries who applied to its Headquarters in Geneva.

According to Dr. Nii Kwei Addo, if at any point in time the fund realise any shortfall in the programme of a participating country, it would suspend the country from benefiting from it.

National Prevalence rates and national control efforts are critical elements in evaluating countries which qualify to benefit from the fund.

Dr. Nii Kwei Addo said the national control programme uses a universal approved methodology to arrive at the prevalence rate, but, his assertion has been challenged by Mr. Awuku who strongly believes that the true figure is way above the official prevalence figure being quoted by the NACP.

“The reason why we take samples of pregnant women is not because we stigmatise women, but, because, every woman who is pregnant must have had unprotected intercourse; and HIV is transmitted through unprotected intercourse”, the Director said.

The Patient, Mr. Bokoe however challenges the NACP authorities to come clear with the research scheme they had used in arriving at the current national prevalence figure of 2.22% and 3.2% prevalence among pregnant women.

Mr. Bokoe who tested positive to the deadly epidemic since 1999 said that he believes the figures being quoted by the NACP authorities as over-all national prevalence rate is under estimated as a plot to earn the government an ovation for commitment to the fight against the disease.

He also accused the NACP of non-transparency in the disbursement of Ghana’s share of the Global AIDS Fund which is originally meant to support the fight against the HIV/AIDS disease.

According to him, whiles in other countries across the globe, Anti Retroviral Drugs and treatments are for free, people living with HIV/AIDS Virus in Ghana pay not less than ¢GH5, ¢50, 00 to access care and treatment.

He said due to the stigmatisation by society against HIV/AIDS Patients, it is possible that some patients cannot pay for their treatment nor afford their personal care hence they become frustrated and dejected.

He pointed out that the absence of a blue print national HIV/AIDS policy is causing the nation a silent but rapid damage as far as the disease is concerned.

“There are a lot of HIV/AIDS patients who does not know their status or know but have not disclosed it because of fear of loosing their jobs.

Mr. Bokoe disclosed that apart from experiencing it himself, several of HIV patients have been denied job opportunities by corporate Ghana and private institutions because they have declared their HIV status.

“This will rather aggravate our situation as a nation”, said Mr. Bokoe. Adding that there are a lot more HIV infected persons than officially declared by the NACP.

Against Dr. Nii Kwei Addo’s assertion that the NACP supports people living with HIV and AIDS to engage in profit making businesses of their own choice, Mr. Awuku said the monies given them are not enough to start any meaningful business in Ghana.

Recently, there have been complaints and condemnation of some Non Governmental Organisations who claim to be soliciting for funds abroad to cater for the less privileged especially HIV/AIDS patients in some African countries including Ghana.

Most of these organisations according to latest report enrich themselves with these funds or divert it for their personal interests.

Mr. Bokoe’s concern is not only about perceived abuse of the HIV/AIDS victims to enrich pockets of some individuals and institutions who claim to be putting efforts to curtail the rapid spread of the disease or taking care of People living with the pandemic but the stigmatisation of the diseases’ carriers, by corporate Ghana and society in general.

Unlike many other carriers who have been discouraged by the unyielding stigma they are subjected by the public, Mr. Bokoe’s said it is now time for people living with the HIV/AIDS virus to speak for themselves and to explain their situation to the public and the world at large.

Mr. Bokoe, said that the media which they expected to educate the public and defuse the stigmatisation is rather worsening the case because they are not doing what is expected of them.

He said whilst the media’s performance may be attributed to the derisive message that the national prevalence is going down, it could not be said that the media is putting in much effort to unravel the depth of infections and the devastating potentials the HIV/AIDS pandemic could cause the nation’s developmental agenda.