From clowns to international heroes, SA wins the fight against HIV and Aids

FROM being the laughing stock of the world to worldwide heroes, South Africa has truly made huge strides in the fight against HIV and Aids. That’s according to La Lucia Baby House and The Peace Agency’s Justin Foxton.

Justin said this as the world gears up to commemorate the International Aids Candlelight Memorial on Thursday, 22 May. The international memorial is coordinated by the Global Network of People living with HIV, one of the oldest and largest grassroots mobilisation campaigns for HIV awareness in the world. 

Started in 1983, the International Aids Candlelight Memorial takes place every third Sunday in May and is led by a coalition of some 1 200 community organisations in 115 countries.

The International Aids Candlelight Memorial serves as a community mobilisation campaign to raise social consciousness about HIV and Aids. With 33 million people living with HIV today, the international memorial serves as an important intervention for global solidarity, breaking down barriers of stigma and discrimination, and giving hope to new generations.

Righting the wrongs of the past

FOR Justin, this day is the perfect platform to not only pay tribute to those living with HIV and Aids, but also to celebrate South Africa’s strides in the fight against HIV and Aids. 

“When the government was under the leadership of Thabo Mbeki the country’s stance on HIV put South Africa back in its fight against HIV and Aids. The country became the laughing stock of the world,” he said. 

But he added that although many South Africans choose to criticise the current government’s administration for various reasons, it also needs to praise the massive strides this government has made in the fight against HIV and Aids. 

“Under his administration a lot of focus has been put on the availability of medication and mothers in the government’s Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMCT) programme,” he said.

He also added that the government was putting a lot into its resources to have more medical practitioners and nurses administer treatments. 

“Those living with HIV only have to take a single pill twice a day (or if otherwise prescribed by doctors) now, rather than the previous cocktail of medications prescribed.

“As a result of making HIV and Aids treatment a priority in South Africa, we’ve gone from the laughing stock of the world to the heroes of the world,” he said. 

Mortality rates lower

IN three years the Aids mortality rate has gone from an average age of 55 to 60. 

“A lot of people question this statistic, but we at the baby house can honestly relate to this. We’ve had about 25 babies come through our doors, of which three have been exposed to HIV. All three babies were put onto antiretrovirals and all three have been adopted and live HIV free. Another two of our babies were born with HIV and will have to live with it for the rest of their lives, but they are very healthy and happy children thanks to their medication,” Justin said. 

“I remember the first baby we had that was exposed to HIV. We religiously gave the baby its medication and prayed for the baby’s recovery. It was so amazing when we heard the baby was HIV free and it was an amazing feeling to know that we prevented that baby from growing up HIV positive,” he added. 

Stigmas surrounding HIV and Aids

JUSTIN acknowledged the fact that, like many other disorders and disease, HIV and Aids will always have stigmas attached to it. 

“A lot of adults are still spreading the virus because they don’t tell their partners or don’t know they’re infected. In this instance a lot of infected adults don’t tell partners, because they are afraid their relationships will end. 

“It is also not talked about as often as it should be because of social issues such as whoonga. A lot of people don’t disclose their status because they fear their medication may be stolen by whoonga dealers or addicts,” Justin said. 

He also said taking medication, which should be taken at the same time each day, also poses a challenge as often people who are infected forget to take their medication and then develop a drug-resistant strain of that particular HIV. 

“Although the stigmas attached to HIV and Aids have lowered drastically, there will always be a stigma. 
“But who would have thought back in the day that we would have come so far already. The reality is that more can always be done and that we can’t remind people of that enough. We have to stay vigilant in this fight,” Justin said.