AIDS

Hello everyone..
Sorry for the delay in writing the blog... time has passed quickly this past week. I should be off to Saturday soccer today but I am bedridden with a head cold- though it seems to have made its way out of my head and into my chest. With any luck it should reach my toes and leave my body by the end of the week. I am sort of hoping I have come down with something exotic- like the Southern African Rhino Flu- but unfortunately it appears to be a simple case of the common cold.
I have received a few questions from people in the past week but I haven't had the time or energy to respond. But now here I am sitting in bed, bored of watching DVDs, and ready to type away so without further ado:
Greg from New Miford, CT asked me: "Hey Jim, I have a question for your blog... Is AIDS a big problem there?"
In a word- yes. I am by no means a doctor, a health specialist, nor a social worker, but as an average guy living in the country it is apparent that AIDS is an issue. I will write about what I know or have overheard in regards to this topic, so in general you may find this blog informative, if not completely factual. A lot of what I am basing my understanding on is conversations with people and word of mouth- so keep in mind a lot of what I write is simply my understanding and the facts could be different. I still don't understand the difference between HIV and AIDS so when I refer to AIDS or HIV, I am referring to the general illness, not its specific stages unless otherwise noted.
There are certain demographic facts about AIDS in Namibia that might help give a snapshot into the gravity of the issue. According to UNAID, 210,000 Namibians are infected- roughly 20% of the population. When you consider that the counry is still in large part under a de facto segregation, I infer that AIDS is less of an issue, per capita, among the white population than the black population. I could be wrong, of course, but if I am right, that means that in Katutura the rates of AIDS are even higher. There are 17,000 AIDS deaths a year and over 85,000 AIDS orphans. (Many likely live with their extended family- grannies, aunties, etc.) For a good link to the crisis, go to http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/global?page=cr09-wa-00 . There are many ways AIDS can be spread, but one thing to keep in mind is the effect of alcohol abuse and the spread of AIDS. Alcohol consumption is a problem- for many Namibians it seems that you either don't drink or you drink to become wasted. With the alcohol abuse comes sexual promiscuity and the disease is often spread this way. So a husand who has cheated on his wife may contract the disease unbeknownst to him or his wife and then spread the disease to her and in time, his kids. Considering many men are against wearing condoms, if a wife who was suspicious of her husand asked him to wear a condom, he could become insulted and angry so there are times when women don't ask men to wear a condom out of fear.
Another more tragic side of AIDS that is not conveyed by statistics and charts is sexual abuse of children. I have heard that there was a common myth among people that AIDS could be cured if the person had sex with a virgin. The surest way to have sex with a virgin was to have sex with a young child so there are incidences of children being sexually abused and then becoming infected. The important thing to keep in mind is that AIDS is not a problem just among homesexuals or young, promiscuous adults. There is a stigma attached to AIDS by some people that those infected became infected because of their behavior. Tell that to the 13-year old girl who was sexually abused by her father when she was a little girl.
I don't know which children (if any) at the center have AIDS, which have family with AIDS, or which are orphaned because of AIDS. Though I am sure there are children affected in some way by AIDS at the center, it is not something discussed. I can guess by looking at the frailer ones with thinning hair and sores that they are likely infected, but there is no way I would single a kid out and bring it up in conversation. AIDS doesn't make a child unhuggable.
Another issue with AIDS is the treatment options. Anti-retroviral drugs are available at the hospital but taking the ARVs is time consuming and difficult. People line up at Katutura Hospital to receive their medication and they must remain on the medication for the rest of their lives. The drugs are given out once a day, as far as I understand, and so if you have to work or can't make it, you can't get the drug. A further issue for others is making the long walk to the hospital. This is especially difficult for those in rural areas. The drugs themselves have different side-effects which make many people hesitant to stay on the drugs.
I have only seen the social effects of AIDS in Namibia. Broken homes and orphaned children. The children are always going to funerals of someone they know it seems- whether this is an AIDS death or something else I do not ask. There is a "Take Control" ad campaign which encourages Namibians to be proactive in the fight against the spread of the disease. Apparently there are millions of dollars worth of foreign aid given to Namibia to help but I think more needs to be done on a social and grass roots level. I think one of the big needs is to curb alcohol consumption. Tafel Lager is promoted everywhere. There are broken glass bottles of beer everywhere. There is a giant billboard between Katutura and Center City advertising a brand of gin with the Namibian soccer team smiling on the billboard. There needs to be more social and corporate responsibility.
Again, I know very little about the crisis other than that it is real. These are just my observations. I don't have the answers to cure the disease or to minimize the spread. Awareness is the first step.
Hopefully this blog wasn't too depressing. I have received a few other good questions on the lighter side of life here in Namibia and I will address one of those later in the week. Enjoy your weekend!