Namibia: Activist Slams HIV/Aids Policy

Namibia: Activist Slams HIV/Aids Policy
http://allafrica.com/stories/200707270628.html
New Era (Windhoek)
27 July 2007
Surihe GaomasWindhoek

An HIV/AIDS National Policy is meaningless without the involvement of people living positively with HIV.

This was said by HIV and AIDS activist Nelao Martin on Tuesday. She called on all people living with HIV to become more actively involved in policies and decision-making that would impact on them.

"Policy-makers tend to pretend to know and understand our needs and therefore develop policies without our involvement, but such policies do not meet our needs and demands," said 24-year-old Martin, who has been living positively with the virus for eight years.

Speaking at the official launch of the National Policy on HIV/AIDS by President Hifikepunye Pohamba in Windhoek this week, Martin expressed concern over the fact that most decisions did not reflect the realities of what was happening on the ground for Namibians living with HIV, as many were left out of normal day-to-day activities.

Statistics show that there are 230 000 Namibians infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS, but many live a life of discrimination due to the stigma attached to being HIV-positive, it being considered a "shameful condition".

"The majority of people living with HIV are still not accessing treatment, care and support services because of ignorance, fear, illiteracy and poverty.

Professionals are reluctant to give us full attention and this leads to little or no information regarding our diagnosis and treatment.

"I believe HIV is a condition I am living in, in that I have accepted to live with it. It's in my blood and not in my brain. I am not mentally disturbed. I still have morals and values, nothing should be taken away from me without my consent," said Martin.

Another major issue of discrimination facing people living with HIV/AIDS is that many still face difficulty in accessing life-policy insurance and housing loans from banks.

She found out about her positive status when she fell pregnant during her last year at secondary school. Both her newborn son and herself were HIV-positive.

"The HIV test which eight years ago proved that my son and I are HIV-positive shattered my dreams. I never had the chance to enjoy being young, as I had to take the responsibility of changing nappies and being on treatment with my son," said Martin.

She also expressed disappointment that two weeks ago she invited more than 20 parliamentarians for a HIV/AIDS discussion, but no one turned up.

Relevant Links Southern Africa HIV-Aids and STDs Health and Medicine Namibia

With so many HIV/AIDS organisations now cropping up in the country, it turns out that HIV/AIDS has become a business, which does not reflect or show empathy towards those infected with the virus.

On discrimination and stigma, Martin said that this was especially more evident if one entered a hospital ward for patients with full-blown AIDS.

"It's that the plate of food is just dropped at the bedside table with flies on it, and the poor patient can't get up and no family or friend is around to help spoon-feed him or her. In most cases, this is because the cleaner or nurse does not personally know how it feels to be HIV-positive On behalf of people living with HIV, I would like to say: nothing for us without us," said Martin.