African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic STD's ... - Blackherbals.com

Continued from page 46 – Tanzania: Aids at 30 - What Does
the Future Hold for Us
Although a recent research trial in Africa and Asia
suggest access to medicine by a HIV positive individual
can reduce transmission to an uninfected partner by up to
96 per cent, field implementation is unlikely in the near
term due to lack of funds and the fact that more than 90
per cent of individuals living with HIV in Africa are
unaware of their status.
Fourth, Aids continues to stalk Africa in a tightly-knitted
quadrangle that includes chronic poverty, tuberculosis
and untreated sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Already in Africa, TB, an ancient but eminently
preventable and treatable disease, may be responsible for
as much as half of all Aids deaths.
Poverty remains a way of life in the continent. Cultural
taboos, inability to pay for treatment and lack of
functional health facilities remain impediments to timely
care of STDs. The future does not look bright regarding
the prospects of breaking the back of the formidable Aids
Quadrangle in Africa.
What does the future portend for Africa in the fight Aids
The honest answer is not so good at this time. Perhaps in
the future, the situation may change. Should Africa wring
its hand and await the consequences The answer is a
resounding no. Specific steps should be taken
immediately by African governments to accelerate a
coordinated effort against the HIV/Aids menace. I briefly
discuss these steps.
Africa should never celebrate modest victories in the
fight against Aids as long as nearly seven million
Africans are living on an Aids death sentence that can be
easily mitigated by available lifesaving medicines.
Africa should never accept the death of one individual
due to lack of access to available lifesaving medicines.
Neither North America nor Europe will accept such a
scenario. The African Union needs to articulate the
financial, technical and logistics cost of providing
lifesaving medicines to all Africans in need; raise some
portion of required resources within the continent; and,
negotiate specific assistance from rich nations,
multilateral agencies, foundations and high net worth
well wisher individuals to meet the treatment needs of
individuals qualified for care.
No excuse is acceptable. Africa now needs to plan and
lead the fight against Aids in the continent. No external
organization or nation will lead this fight for Africa.
Africa needs a continent specific Aids Operational Plan
that matches rhetoric with action.
The bold Africa Aids Operational Plan should comple-
-47- Traditional African Clinic October 2011
ment the recently adopted United Nations General
Assembly pledge to ensure that all babies are born free
of HIV by 2015 and that their mothers live long enough
to raise them to adulthood. The specific Africa Aids
Operational Plan should also complement the bold
vision of Unaids of a future of zero new HIV
infections, zero discrimination and zero Aids-related
deaths.
African governments need to implement comprehensive
HIV prevention programs, with efforts to
address all known risk factors on the table.
Gender equity issues, sexuality issues, male
circumcision issues, poverty, cultural norms and
practices that may increase risk of HIV transmission,
lack of access to health and education services, limited
financial resources, political instability and
conflict/post conflict situations should be on the table
as continental leaders craft effective information,
education and communication campaigns against HIV
transmission.
This dialogue needs to occur at the highest political,
economic, social, religious and traditional levels to
ensure the adoption of credible preventive programs.
Africa should spearhead the global HIV prevention
revolution suggested by the United Nations. A
coordinated HIV prevention revolution will be the
strong foundation for effective testing/counselling,
treatment, supportive and rehabilitative services
throughout the continent.
Africa now needs to begin a coordinated,
comprehensive care and support initiative for its nearly
15 million Aids orphans. Since the early 1990s when
the issue of Aids orphans became apparent in Africa,
especially in eastern and southern Africa, no concerted
effort has being made at national, regional and
continental levels to address the plight of Aids orphans.
The combination of unprecedented deaths of young
adults from Aids and the rising incidence of Aids
orphans put tremendous strain on the much vaunted
extended family system in many parts of the continent.
As noted in a book I had written with another
colleague, Aids orphans are often likely to eke out
meagre existence under the watchful gaze of
increasingly infirm grandparents. I remain puzzled on
why the plight of Aids orphans in Africa has not ignited
a coordinated regional or continental operational
response.
Until new HIV infection dwindles to negligible
proportions in Africa, a young woman or man newly
diagnosed with HIV can live an additional 50 years due
Continued on page 48