On World AIDS Day, there was a report in the Post Courier
quoting the Chairman of the National AIDS Council Dr Banare Bun on stigma and
discrimination on AIDS Care in this country.
He said that a study among
HIV positive people in Chimbu found that 60% had been denied health services,
71% had been physically assaulted, 85% verbally assaulted, harassed or
threatened and 67.5% excluded from family gatherings, all because of HIV status.
I have always had respect for Dr Bun but feel the need to
question his figures as there seems to be an element of fakery, probably by the
persons who gave him the statistics in the first place.
How many people were interviewed? Were they interviewed at care centres? or at the bar of the local hotel? Who were the interviewers?
How many people were interviewed? Were they interviewed at care centres? or at the bar of the local hotel? Who were the interviewers?
Let us look at the AIDS support in the Chimbu. How many AIDS centres
in the province? If people were said to be denied treatment, was this
permanent?
Are they getting
treatment now? Was the supply of antiretroviral drugs depleted at the time?
Of those claiming to be physically assaulted, who was
responsible? Was it AIDS clinic workers or other people? Given that treatment
is confidential, who would have known? Many thin people have TB. How did assault take place? Where? by whom?
We have long been told the fake story that gay people run the
risk of being arrested by police. The insinuation is that they will be reported
by health workers.
There were 85% in the Chimbu health centres who were
insulted, harassed or threatened. How did that happen? Was this at the hands of
health workers or visitors to the centre?
There will be times when health workers will talk cross to
HIV sufferers for several reasons. They have delayed their resupply of ARV
drugs. They have not taken the drugs as prescribed.
As well, 67.5 % were excluded from family gatherings? This is
not quite as simple as that.
There will be those not on ARV in the final stages who raise
negative responses in a family gathering. People on ARV may look quite normal.
Those not on ARV may
look like skeletons with hair falling out and cause unnecessary response among
family members. Some family members will talk of sorcery. It is better for the
infected person to avoid family gatherings.
Some HIV infected people will avoid gatherings because they
have not told their families of their HIV status. Linda kept her status secret
from family for 3 years. She was afraid that her sisters-in-law would spread
the news to their families.
So her carer was
blamed for her skeleton look, loss of hair, cracking finger nails and dementia
with hallucinations of spirit killers come to harm her.
There is another aspect to dementia. That is to complain of
mistreatment. Some of the complaints of AIDS sufferers may be the result of
delusions. They are hungry so they say they are being starved. The real reason
is that they refuse to eat.
I would not accept any
advice from a person who had the virus without ARV for more than 5 years. They
are probably demented and making any complaint that they can think of.
The people to blame are those caring for them. They are the
closest targets as carer, family and health workers. There may be stigma and
discrimination among health workers but we need first to look at the mental state of the complainants.
Many AIDS sufferers without ARV are demented and mentally retarded. They are not telling lies but have forgotten what the truth is.
It is the workers collecting data who are the liars. They undoubtedly know that the people interviewed are not fully part of reality any more. But that does not matter.
Many AIDS sufferers without ARV are demented and mentally retarded. They are not telling lies but have forgotten what the truth is.
It is the workers collecting data who are the liars. They undoubtedly know that the people interviewed are not fully part of reality any more. But that does not matter.