A Journey of Hope: Counseling-Prevention of HIV/AIDS
by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai
“If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded”- Maya Angelou- American poet, memoirist, actress and civil rights activist
25 million people have died of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) globally according to a survey carried out recently. The first case of a HIV positive person was reported in Sri Lanka in 1987. There have been 886 HIV positive persons reported by June 2007, and 120 died of AIDS according to the National STD (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) and AIDS Control Programme. Out of which 41% were women. Further out of 886 HIV positive persons, 516 are males and 370 are females. A total of 28 paediatric HIV have been diagnosed in Sri Lanka as end of June 2006. The male to female ratio is 1:4:1.
An estimated 5,000 people were living with HIV in Sri Lanka at the end of 2005 out of 20 million population, and an estimated 140 people died of AIDS related illnesses according to the UNAIDS fact sheet, which was issued on August 10th 2007.
Between 2.8 and 9.8 million people were living with HIV in Asia in 2006, and between 310,000 and 610,000 people became newly infected with the virus according to the UNAIDS fact sheet, which was updated in August 2007. And between 140,000 and 610,000 people died from AIDS related illnesses in 2006.
“In the 25 years since the first case was reported, AIDS has changed the world. It has killed 25 million people, infected 40 million more. It has become the world’s leading cause of death among both men and women aged 15- 59. It has inflicted the single greatest reversal in the history of human development. In other words, it has become the greatest challenge of our generation” said the Former Secretary –General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan in his World AIDS Day message in 2006.
Although Sri Lanka has a low prevalent rate (0.03%), it is a challenge to maintain at this rate. Nearly two decades since the reporting its first HIV infection, Sri Lanka remains one of the few countries in the region with a low level of HIV epidemic. Conditions of higher vulnerability also include conflict, high mobility, of military, internally displaced persons, and separation of spouses related to overseas employment.
“The unequal rights of women to inheritance and property in many parts of the region have been severely aggravated by HIV. Burdened by the care of their spouses, illness and the responsibility of the household, women living with or affected by HIV are often denied their rightful access to property when their spouses die. Blamed, abused and expelled from their marital homes. HIV positive women often denied access to their children as well.
The feminization of the epidemic in the Asia Pacific region and the related challenges are truly daunting. About 30% of the new infections in the region are among women. With little or no control over their sexual lives and burdened by abuse, exploitation and violence in the region are extremely vulnerable to HIV as borne by the facts. In Papua New Guinea 60% of the new infections are among women, while in Thailand “housewives” accounted for 40% of the new cases. In Nepal 100% of the new infections are among women” said Caitlin Wiesen, Regional HIV/AIDS Team Leader, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), regional Centre in Colombo.
Waves of Change; Waves of Hope, was this year’s theme for the 8th ICAAP (International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific) which just concluded in Colombo. 2,000 delegates from 4o countries have participated in the international conference, which was held from August 19-23rd 2007. They shared experiences to fight the epidemic with confidence and hope
Journey for Healthy Life was started in 1999 with five members, which has spread its wings to 12 members. It has a male and a female counselors. The Director of Journey for Healthy Life Nakkeeran Gunarajah in an exclusive interview with Kuviyam regarding the HIV/AIDS situation in the Jaffna Peninsula. [Nakkeeran Gunarajah –>]
Q: What type of services do you provide?
A: We help the people to get volunteer HIV tests. And also provide counseling if they are found positive. We give counseling for their family members, so that they do not ill treat the fellow family members, who are HIV positive. There is no compassion towards the HIV positive, and we try to educate the community on this issue as well. And also we create awareness in the society such as what is HIV, how it spreads, preventive measures and treatment. The Journey for Healthy Life also provides attendants service at home and hospital.
We managed to have 20 HIV/AIDS related seminars in 15 District Secretariat divisions in Jaffna in conjunction with the World AIDS day in 2006. HIV positive persons have participated in the seminars.
Q: How do you see the current HIV/AIDS situation in Jaffna?
A: There were 42 HIV positives up to March 2006. There was a 31/2 year-old baby girl was among them. And five mothers were found HIV positive. We urge the people to go for HIV test, but it’s not that easy due to the social set up in the society.
Q: How do you see the situation of Stigma and discrimination?
A: The loved ones of HIV positive people are discriminated at their work place as well as at home. For example:
*Valli, who got infected to HIV and later died of AIDS. Her son *Kugan who worked in a bakery in Jaffna was discriminated by his employer. The employer used to ask *Kugan to wash the utensils with warm water, clean the bakery premises with water after his mother visited the bakery.
Valli’s another son *Kumar who shared a room with his friend *Senthil in the town. Whenever Kumar visited his mother at home and cam back to the room, removed his shirt and put it on hanger. *Senthil used to remove his shirts which were hanging next to *Kumar’s shirt and put them in a separate place.
When *Valli died of AIDS, her extended family members refused to touch her body to give a bath before cremating. It’s a funeral rites of the Hindus to bathe the dead body before cremating it I a cemetery. But at late *Valli’s home her relatives refrained from touching her dead body.
Similar situations have been faced by other families which have HIV positive persons in the families. Although there had been numerous awareness activities created by various organizations, there is still stigma attached to the society. We are still trying very hard to remove the stigma from the society.
Q: What are the challenges faced by your organisation?
A: We faced if we want to talk about prevention, we have to talk about sex in public. But in Jaffna, the community is very conservative. The community does not want us to talk about sex in public. It’s a big challenge for us. On the other hand people are clueless, if we don’t explain to the people in detail, how the HIV can get infected.
There is no networking system available for us at the moment. We hardly have any connections with the other organization working with PLWHAs (People Living With HIV/AIDS) on the rest of the country. The current political situation also prevents us from expanding our network locally and globally. The 8th ICAAP (International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific) was a great opportunity for us to make new connections.
We were funded by the Christian Aid till April 2007. We do not have any donors at present. We had to reduce the number of staff to five due to financial constraints.
Q: What will be your future activities?
A: Journey for Healthy Life has already planned to implement a four step project for five years. The project is expected to begin in 2008 and end in 2013.
1. Creating awareness
2. Care and support to HIV positive persons
3. Income generating and livelihood programs for identified persons who are at risk
4. Service availability
Hope springs from the sharing of knowledge. Let us focus on preventing HIV/AIDS around the world.
(* Name of a HIV positive and her sons have been changed to maintain confidentiality)
Email: dushi.pillai@gmail.com
November 14th, 2007