April 11, 2012
Aids and ignorance thrive as Swaziland struggles for funds to fight disease
By David Smith in Mbabane
Despite improving healthcare and information campaigns, country still has world's highest infection rate
Swaziland has the miserable distinction of the highest HIV rate in the world, with more than one in four adults estimated to be carrying the virus. It accounts for nearly half the deaths of children under five.
...
"There are many problems in the country," said a spokesman for the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations. ...
"When a western NGO puts out a message about condoms, someone turns up on radio in the local language, SiSwati, and says, 'Don't be silly, our job is to produce children.'"
Research has found that, despite government information campaigns, understanding of HIV/Aids is poor. A campaign funded by the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) to encourage men to undergo circumcision – not a tradition in Swaziland – fell well short of its target. [Maybe because men understand what they would lose and how little they'd gain.]
But circumcision of newborn boys is proving more successful. [Sure - because they have no choice. There is NO evidence that circumcising babies has any effect on HIV.] ...
...
Ncamsile Mkhwanazi, a staff nurse, ... criticised the recent circumcision drive. "Men believed that once you are circumcised you are prevented from catching HIV. It was not clear."
But she said communities were no longer being devastated as they once were. "Now people are taking the drugs so the death rate is decreasing...."
...
"Research has found that, despite government information campaigns, understanding of HIV/Aids is poor. A campaign funded by the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) to encourage men to undergo circumcision – not a tradition in Swaziland – fell well short of its target."
ReplyDeleteIt is disturbing to me, that whether or not the understanding of HIV/AIDS is poor is defined by the success of a program to circumcise men. It seems PEPFAR etc. WANT the understanding of HIV/Aids to remain poor. Or rather, they hope men don't understand HIV/AIDS well enough to refuse their "treatment."
"But circumcision of newborn boys is proving more successful."
Successful in what?
How is circumcising children improving Swaziland's understanding of HIV/AIDS?
How exactly will circumcising children and telling a nation that circumcision protects against AIDS NOT make people complacent regarding the use of condoms?
Oh the insanity.