What'sUpHIV

There is so much for me to take home

GODFREY OOHING OKUMU writes:

On 17th July, I started my journey from Kenya to the AIDS2016 conference. The plane touched down in Durban at 10:30 pm, and I embarked on a 45-minute journey to my hotel. I could hear other delegates sharing their hopes and fears about the prospect of ending HIV. I felt honoured to be one of more than 18,000 delegates from around the world attending the 21st International AIDS conference to discuss the global HIV response.

“NO NEW FUNDING = NO END TO AIDS! END AIDS NOW” This was the message dozens of advocates and activists could be heard chanting from the streets outside the conference centre the following day.

It was amazing to hear world leaders at different sessions recognizing the role of activists and advocates in agitating for policy development and reforms around HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programming that are needed to make the “End of AIDS” a reality in our generation. From the streets of Durban to the conference rooms at the International Convention Centre (ICC), the message was the same.

As part of advocacy action after the march on July 19, several international organisations including the South African government, the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), WHO and UNAIDS and others were served with commitment memoranda that were signed by the respective heads of these institutions. During his acceptance speech and signing of the memorandum, the Deputy President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, acknowledged the role of advocates and encouraged them to continue with the push towards ending HIV/AIDS. He also appealed to other African governments to emulate South Africa since they’ve showed commitment in domestic financing of HIV prevention and treatment efforts.

I was also inspired by the speech from Charlize Theron at the opening ceremony. She spoke the truth with courage. I have only seen her in movies but I was more impressed with her in person than by the characters she has played in the movies. Charlize is an Oscar-winning South African actress who has always been a beautiful person with a beautiful brain and heart. The golden words that touched me the most during her opening speech were – “More money is needed to fight and end the AIDS epidemic in this lifetime

“AIDS does not discriminate – we do,” she added. “Not only are the youths really burdened by this disease but they are ultimately the ones that need to be empowered so that they can actually be the generation to stop it. They’ve been carrying this burden so long by themselves. We’re really late to the game when it comes to adolescents.”

It was great that speakers at the opening ceremony all agreed that more financial investment from governments and donors is required to tackle HIV/AIDS. As the deliberations continue, I continue to learn and to be inspired. There’s so much more for me to take home, and maybe to share with you again. And I will. Soon.

Ambitious WHO and UNAIDS targets undermine quality and promote corruption in my country

LEPHEANA MOSOOANE writes:

I am having my breakfast at the local mall in Durban and I am thinking to myself – ‘My country, Lesotho, is the second country to implement Test and Treat? Test and treat is the concept of starting all individuals who test HIV positive on antiretroviral drugs as soon as they are tested.

Well, that’s such a quick and interesting move from a country with the second highest HIV prevalence in the world, the highest tuberculosis (TB) rate in the world and an extreme 75% of HIV-TB co-infection. But is my beloved country ready for test and treat? Before we even think about it, know this: people living with HIV are currently struggling to get ARVs due to lack of government financial commitment, a broken health system, limited technical manpower and a dearth of sustainable strategic planning. Oh… and of course limited meaningful community and civil society engagement and participation.

Breakfast done, off to a session on voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC). I sit down and listen to all these ambitious targets and the huge amounts of money going into the HIV projects, accompanied by strict conditions regarding targets. Hello? We are talking about human lives here. Quality assurance should be the golden rule and targets should only be success and demand indicators.

Back to my country Lesotho – which I will be returning to on Friday – is my government so greedy and corrupt that it will become the first country to embrace some HIV/AIDS projects even though they realise that they do not have the capacity? And that lack of meaningful community involvement leads to community reluctance and lack of adherence?

As I sit on my bed to finish writing this blog, I am thinking– ‘Are the big decision-makers guys who live in communities like mine in Thaba-Tseka, a rural, mountainous district?’ Most definitely not. They are guys with offices in sky-rise buildings. Now why should guys such as these determine how many billions of dollars go to countries like mine, and what targets to set there? We need each other – but more like partners and not what I currently see. I think priority countries should lead and not just be the recipients of dollars and targets set by funders.

My dream is to attend the AIDS conference where I can sit on the same table as WHO, UN, UNAIDS, Global Fund and my poor brother or sister from Lesotho who is living with HIV, and discuss the issues such as readiness, targets, quality assurance and capacity. Then from that conversation I know that I can formulate a five year strategic plan which will be successful because of community involvement, reasonable and feasible targets, situational analysis and effective government commitment.

Until then, my question is – how many more conferences must we attend until we put the beneficiaries of these programs at the centre – 5, 10, 20? Tell me, how many? A problem in Lesotho might not be a problem in Kenya but it might be a problem in Uganda. My African problem and your African problem. I need to catch some sleep so I can be up early tomorrow morning to listen to a plenary talk by one of the few community representatives on the big stages. Maybe that’s where I’ll pick it up next time. Onwards!