Mainstreaming HIV and Aids

Messages and information about HIV and Aids have been disseminated very widely, and as of now, almost everybody in Malawi is very aware of the disease.

Statistics about the escalation of the disease in the country and the world over continue to dominate HIV and Aids headlines continuously.

And, still worrying, are a myriad of social conditions and cultural practices that continue to contribute to the state of the pandemic in Malawi.

Besides, over 20 years down the road since the disease was discovered, many people in this country are still not accustomed to talking openly about sex, the use of the condom as part of safer sex is low and polygamy or multiple sexual partners are common.

High unemployment, poverty, alcohol misuse and gender imbalance put an economic and social strain on vulnerable groups such as women and young people exposing them to risks of contacting the disease as they search for means of survival .

Furthermore, adequate medical care is not available and as such, the presence of HIV often goes undetected until Aids related symptoms are severe.

What is encouraging though, is that the fight for the disease has reached a critical point and a large number of private institutions have joined hands and become partners with government to explore ways to make a difference and stop the pandemic.

One such institution is Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), an international organization whose main objective is to look beyond HIV/Aids awareness by mainstreaming the pandemic through placement of skilled and qualified volunteers to work with local partner organizations and communities.

Steve Tahuna, VSO Programme Officer argued that the social and environmental circumstances that lead vulnerable people to have unprotected sex thus exposing themselves to possible infections have to be resolved through addressing the causes of poverty and gender discrimination as well as the use of sex as a commodity.

He explained that, apart from emphasizing awareness, people need to be taught how to take full control of their lives by giving them the confidence to know that things can be different.

"The VSO volunteers accomplish this by helping partners identify resources, whether funding and or training opportunities. These volunteers work together with the communities in helping them understand the ways that HIV has an impact on the areas of their work.

Tahuna said VSO also aims at improving the quality and availability of adequate basic services in the fight against the pandemic to improve quality by strengthening the capabilities of the health system resulting in greater opportunity for people to fulfill their rights to physical, mental and social wellbeing.

"VSO Malawi's strategic aim is to assist in the mitigation of HIV and Aids of those infected and affected and contribute towards the reduction in the spread of HIV in the country," he said.

However, Tahuna explained that VSO volunteers are only there to work with support partner institutions and personnel that are already in the field to help identify the key activities that the country must undertake to address prevention, care and impact mitigation of the HIV pandemic.

"Sometimes people feel uncomfortable with the presence of these volunteers, they think they are there to grab their jobs and at times people expect a lot from them thinking they have money," he said. "They are only there to provide their expertise as partners."

There is a need to emphasize the role of stigma and fear of discrimination as barriers to effective intervention and care of people living with HIV.

"But until we call it out, we cannot trigger the intensity of action that is needed to deal with it. Mainstreaming helps to show how we are all involved and all affected by HIV. From that standpoint, we can then identify the key activities we must all undertake to address prevention, care and impact mitigation," according to Director for Southern Africa Aids Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) Dr. Sunanda Ray.

Evolving and sharing experiences can be a valuable source of motivation and learning. This gives individuals a platform for sharing their experiences of HIV and Aids and their response to it in face-to-face conversations thereby giving the people liberty to talk more freely and openly in a personal context.