Ever since the AIDS pandemic was announced as a health issue almost forty years ago, we have heard a lot about it. It has now passed decades since the very first case was revealed and made public in Ethiopia. It was as if a sort of tragedy had broken out ready to take all of us by surprise when the media presented it as something lethal.
Immediately with such presentation the very idea of HIV was given a kind of picture that would drive any one person to complete despair and anyone found with the virus was taken to be completely marginalized and segregated. Stories of parents beginning to distance themselves from their very children whom they suspected of contracting the virus began to spread. Friends broke their bond due to mere suspicion of contagion. Neighbours began to watch one another with suspicion once symptoms were perceived and any one ‘diagnosed’ by people as positive was literally and physically avoided.
It was later on determined that the hearsay and talk made even more damage than the virus itself as stigma, segregation and exclusion became the norm. HIV almost immediately came to grow to mythical levels as more than a disease but a curse descending from God due to our sins.
At the beginning the campaign was not that effective as it was not done with the necessary urgency and efficiency, the necessary preparation and knowhow. It could be said now with the benefit of hind sight that it was handled badly. But later on several easily understandable and simple moves were made and disseminated through all the media and other communication tools including spots and illustrative images such as posters on the issue.
Artists made huge contribution through their tunes and melodies; poets and authors presented interesting and at times heart breaking drama for the public aiming to sensitize them. People were warned to use simple precautionary methods to protect themselves from contagion such as the use of condoms.
Then it was noted that the awareness levels grew exponentially and the response of the public also became very positive. The errors committed were readily rectified. The efficiency of the messages had resulted stronger and more relevant to appeal to the mentality and attitude of the public.
Countless campaigns were conducted for years and years with literally billions of dollars expended in the mission with the immense funds provided from charities and international bodies. The awareness creation campaigns intensified all over the world for decades. In fact in the developed world the point was made immediately and the precautions resulted very effective unlike in the poor world where facilities lacked and even food security and sanitation were and still remain critical issues.
Marking the World AIDS Day has been instrumental in the effective ways of communicating with the entire world at one go and sharing of valuable experiences across the globe. The media coverage of the stories narrated in those celebrations and the first hand testimonials presented to the world including recognition awards for those who did admirable and exemplary work has served this purpose of tackling the HIV pandemic.
Scientific breakthroughs were presented in these venues with their implications and at least for one day every one across the world has the occasion to focus on HIV. The change in attitude and behaviour was hence a logical consequence of all these efforts. Marking the day with the conferences and presentations has hence contributed solidly to the fight against the virus.
Countries learned from the experiences of others without having to go through the same predicaments. Thousands of participants from all walks of life including doctors, researchers and other professionals shared their advice and suggestions on how to work to try and change the attitude of people because that was the first obstacle along the route. It was immediately noted that the spread of the virus had become really alarming all over the world. Here in Ethiopia with poor awareness levels and irresponsible carelessness, so many people who could easily have avoided the contagion did unfortunately contract the
virus. Subsequently, and albeit not knowingly, they contributed to its relentless spread. This happened even among those who normally may not be expected to be so exposed to the virus given their life style.
People who were not necessarily promiscuous or did not engage in sex out of wedlock were seen contracting the virus and the spread got even in the families of unsuspected couples. And sadly many perished anonymously without even benefitting from due care and attention especially in the earlier years when such services were not readily at hand! Anti-retroviral drugs were a rarity and the privilege of the wealthy few.
As suspicion across the board became the order of the day, practically no one could be exempted from ill treatment. The stigma prevented people from immediately knowing and declaring one’s HIV status. And this was to result a dangerous attitude obscuring the sources of spread even at family levels.
Communities had to impose new directives regarding marriage and any sort of sexual relations even among distant living married couples. The need to test after the window period for the growth of the virus was underlined.
In Ethiopia the campaign intensified along the years. HIV Clubs were formed throughout Ethiopia in practically every place especially in workplaces and schools and discussions were continuously tabled. People got the opportunity to very well acquaint themselves with the issue. Every association or community of people was among the targets of these campaigns.
HIV/AIDS can be called the simple most important human or societal health alarm or issue ever witnessed for the last several decades. Ethiopians then responded positively and finally the virus begun to show a downward trend and this was the coronation of intense hard work that took years to achieve. Finally, the operators began to feel some relief seeing the fruits of their toil.
However, after this window of relief and solace, things began to take a new trend with the passing of the years. The plan to eradicate totally the virus in some years has now admittedly faced new challenges. The latest data show that the picture is not rosy any more. Complacency is noted among the youths who seem to have concluded that the virus is no more a threat. And the numbers are testimony to the resurgence of the virus. In some urban settings they have reportedly reached 3 to 4 percent. In rural areas there are numbers that reach 1% and this could very well qualify for the status of epidemic levels.
Medical professionals and others who work in the profession once again began to make a clarion call for action. The need to sensitize people particularly the youth who now seem too much relaxed and have taken the virus as inexistent became evident. The fear factor for the virus and disease had disappeared among youths and this is dangerously contributing to a new wave of spread.
In recent years, experts in the trade have been blowing the horns of alarm. They now say that given the new numbers, there is need to re-step up the awareness campaign, sensitizing the youths about the dangers of contracting HIV and that the virus remain a threat to life and that there are still no confirmed means of curing it.
What we can do is keep ourselves safe by avoiding contagion and once tested positive there is need to serious follow up and if necessary take the Anti- Retroviral drugs which are now more readily and cheaply available than it used to be decades ago. Experts warned that the belief that HIV has been given a mortal blow and hence there is no more need to worry has resulted in a huge upset to the efforts conducted for decades.
Recent reports show there are 600,000 people in Ethiopia who are living with the virus. And 13,000 new cases of HIV are reported every year. Clearly, these numbers do not prove that the virus has disappeared.
As we mark the World AIDS Day on December 1st we in Ethiopia need to convince ourselves that with a population of 110 million roughly and almost 70% youths, there is serious case of need to promote anti HIV campaign afresh so that these youths have a good grasp of the situation. The days when the virus was knocking at every one’s doors may have passed and thousands have already died; but there are still the fall outs of the recent cases and if serious and sustained measures are not taken things the consequences could be disastrous.
We should not forget that there are still thousands of children orphaned by HIV and if we consider the problem resolved there will be little conviction nor commitment to raise funds to combat the virus while giving indispensable care and support to the orphans. There is also need to step up NGO activity and continue with the sensitization and awareness campaign.
The current assessment is that HIV is here to stay unless we see to it that each and every case is exterminated. The originally set date 2030 for its total eradication may now have to be reviewed. But efforts must be renewed and refreshed to continue to pursue that deadline.
The Ethiopian Herald December 8/2019
BY FITSUM GETACHEW
