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Africa: AIDS Update, African Statements
Africa: AIDS Update, African Statements
Date distributed (ymd): 001204
Document reposted by APIC
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: Continent-Wide
Issue Areas: +economy/development+
Summary Contents:
This posting contains a press release from the Economic Commission
for Africa, on the opening of the African Development Forum in
Addis Ababa on 'AIDS: The Greatest Leadership Challenge.' Extensive
additional information, including daily updates, background papers
and speeches, is available at
http://www.uneca.org/adf2000/daily_updates
It also contains one of the opening statements from the Forum:
'Living with HIV/AIDS as a Young African Woman' by Charlotte Mjele,
Hopeworldwide Jabavu Clinic, Soweto, and the Society for Women and
AIDS in Africa (SWAA-South Africa). Among her remarks: 'The life of
an African with HIV should not be seen to be less than that of his
or her counterpart in other parts of the world.'
Another posting sent out today contains three new statements from
UNAIDS with updates on HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, which has
claimed almost two and a half million lives this year.
For additional sources and earlier documents see
http://www.africapolicy.org/action/health.htm
The on-line discussion preceding the ADF can be found at:
http://www.bellanet.org/adf/2000
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Economic Commission for Africa
ECA Press Release No. 12/2000
- For all the latest ADF 2000 documents, including full text of
the speeches, the programme, theme papers and background
documents, please visit the ADF website at
http://www.uneca.org/adf2000 and click on "Daily Update".
- The site will be updated regularly with statements, press
releases, summaries and other relevant information. It will also
include links to a multimedia archive featuring video and audio
highlights of the Forum.
- For more information, please contact:
The Communication Team Economic Commission for Africa Tel:
+251-1-44 30 98 or +251-1-44 50 98 Fax: +251-1-51 03 65 E-mail:
ecainfo@uneca.org Web: http://www.uneca.org
"OUR CONTINENT DID NOT HAVE TO BE DEVASTATED LIKE THIS BY
HIV/AIDS"
Addis Ababa, 03 December 2000 (ECA) - "Our continent did not have
to be devastated like this by HIV/AIDS. We should not have
allowed it to get to this stage and we therefore have the
responsibility to reverse the situation."
These words were spoken by Charlotte Mjele, a 22-year old South
African woman living with HIV/AIDS, addressing delegates at the
opening ceremony of the African Development Forum 2000 (ADF 2000)
this afternoon.
ADF 2000 taking place at the headquarters of the Economic
Commission for Africa (ECA) from 3 - 7 December 2000 under the
theme "AIDS -- The Greatest Leadership Challenge", is organized
by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in conjunction with
UNAIDS and its seven co-sponsors, UNDP, UNICEF, The World Bank
and other partners. Its aim is to serve as a launching pad for a
renewed commitment to more concerted action against HIV/AIDS in
Africa.
Describing how she fought discrimination and came to terms with
her HIV positive status, Ms. Mjele told the audience: "I made a
conscious effort to be a leader in showing that an HIV diagnosis
is not the end of one's life. Many in a similar situation would
not even go out to learn and update themselves with information
about this virus that is affecting us so much. Not many can stand
the risk of being discriminated against. Many are still dying in
fear and many are still in the victim mindset. We need to help
them make the transition from a victim to a victor."
Ms. Mjele appealed to community and national leaders for "more
action where it matters most - to reach young people, children at
the grassroots, and to deal with poverty which is breeding HIV
infection, fear, hopelessness and premature death".
Leadership, stressed Ms. Mjele, had a major role to play in
reversing the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS. Those with HIV/AIDS
should lead by example, break their silence and disclose their
status. Leadership should push for affordable treatment for
HIV-infected pregnant women and HIV-related illnesses, as "the
life of an African with HIV should not be seen to be less than
that of his or her counterpart in other parts of the world."
Some 1,500 African leaders and policy makers, civil society
organisations (including people living with HIV/AIDS and
academia), young people, private sector and development partner
representatives will seek to address concrete roles and
responsibilities for leaders at all levels so as to galvanize an
African-led response to the pandemic.
In his opening remarks, ECA's Executive Secretary, K. Y. Amoako
stressed that the doomsday scenario that HIV/AIDS now posed to
Africa was not the continent's inevitable future. "This is a
battle for the continent's survival. We carry inside each and
every one of us the potential to increase the problem or the
potential to help solve the problem. This is not a policy issue:
this is ourselves, our families, our communities, our hopes. And
this is our decisive moment."
Setting the scene, Mr. Amoako explained the rationale behind the
theme of the Forum: "Leadership is our topic. Leadership at all
levels: within the family, the community, the towns, the
provinces, civil society, the churches and mosques, the elders
meeting places, business, labour and, upper most, at national
political level. Leadership which is the boldest, most
persistent, most insightful, compassionate, forceful,
co-operative and imaginative we have ever had."
Describing the Forum as "our decisive moment for leadership", Mr.
Amoako posed three challenges. The first was for each individual
to ascertain the elements that would enable each to be a better
leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS, including how each person
could help assure a better life for those burdened with HIV/AIDS
and their families. The second was for minds to focus on how to
scale up the best strategies, policies and programmes. The third
was to ensure that the consensus emerging from the Forum be taken
to the highest level of political leadership. "This is our time
to be decisive, this is our test," said Mr. Amoako. "And because
we are on the front lines, this is the world's test".
Comparing the AIDS pandemic to an invasion, Organization of
African Unity (OAU) Secretary-General, Salim Ahmed Salim, told
the gathering: "What many of our African countries have been
experiencing in the past two decades is far worse than an armed
invasion. The staggering numbers of lives lost, the critical
points in our socio-economic systems that have been
incapacitated, and the looming loss of our future as a people,
are devastating outcomes that surpass any war situation".
Picking up on this theme in his opening address, Ethiopian
President, Negaso Gidada reiterated that the HIV/AIDS pandemic
was as good as an invasion, and as such required the same level
of determination and resource allocation.
UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, is among dignitaries attending
the Forum. Also attending the Forum are Presidents Festus Mogae
of Botswana, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of
Uganda. Senegal's Prime Minister, Moustapha Niasse, and Malawi's
Vice-President, Justin Malewezi, are also taking part, along with
Prime Minister Nagoum Yomassoum of Chad.
Several heads of UN agencies are in Addis Ababa for ADF 2000:
Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS; Mark Malloch Brown,
Administrator of UNDP; Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of
UNICEF; Nafis Sadik, Executive Director of UNFPA; and Mamphela
Ramphele, Managing Director of the World Bank.
The programme of work consists of pre-Forum meetings, plenary
sessions and additional special sessions where participants will
meet with experts, participate in roundtables, debates, benefit
from skills-building workshops and discuss the main theme, issues
and background papers. The core element of ADF 2000 is analysis
of leadership roles in responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in
Africa. Events began yesterday with pre-forum meetings to clarify
roles and priority issues and to prepare for the main Forum.
Monday's programme will focus on Leadership and Public Policy,
and will feature plenary and breakout sessions on 'AIDS
and Development'.
A highlight of the week will be a Forum of Heads of State on the
morning of Thursday 7 December, to be kicked off by a keynote
address by the UN Secretary-General. At this Forum, Heads of
State will each deliver statements sharing their unique
perspectives in their respective battles against HIV/AIDS. They
will engage interactively in a dialogue with representatives from
different constituencies that include leaders from the private
sector, development partner agencies, and from civil society,
mainly NGOs, the media, academia, and religious institutions. The
interaction is expected to promote local, national, subregional
and international partnerships. Former South African President
Nelson Mandela will deliver a statement by video.
LIVING WITH HIVIAIDS AS A YOUNG AFRICAN WOMAN
Charlotte Mjele, Hopeworldwide Jabavu Clinic, Soweto, and the
Society for Women and AIDS in Africa, SWAA-South Africa.
Two years ago I was confronted with absorbing the news of being HIV
infected. Being only 20 years old a fresh college graduate, and
with an exciting job as a junior consultant with an employment
agency it was certainly a great personal blow. Since then, I have
been faced with many challenges as a single young women, with no
child and open about my HIV status. From being devastated by the
news of my HIV status, and having being overwhelmed with the
thought of a future with no prospects, I went through a very rough
time and traumatising emotional pain that also resulted in a lot of
physical pain. However, death was not on my agenda. I was young,
and knew deep down that I still wanted to live. I had to reason
with myself, believing that God would not put me in a situation
that I could not handle. Even so, the fear did not depart from me,
I cried myself to sleep everyday, as the nightmare of not knowing
exactly what this virus was going to do to me suffocated me every
minute. Was I now going to be a statistic that was soon going to be
numbered among the infected, sick, dying or dead. My main questions
was : how was I really going to fight this battle and what was my
family, relatives, friends, colleagues and friends going to say and
think about me?. The thought of being stigmatised hit me very hard.
Considering that in my family's eyes and those who've known me, I
have been a good child and daughter and a young role model, looked
up to by many.
HIV had no positive influence on my life, so I thought I was really
devastated. When I started loosing my hair because of stress, it
didn't make me look good. I then stopped for a moment and thought
- " I have been seeing others showing themselves on TV and
declaring their HIV positive and some have been alive for years and
they still are looking good and healthy. If they have learned to
accept their status, and have coped, I CAN TOO! I looked up places
of help for People Living With HIV/AIDS. I joined HOPE Worldwide
support group in Soweto, Johannesburg for women and men living with
HIV. I gave myself a mission to learn more about my newly foud
companion - HIV. For me it only made sense that if I can learn and
understand more about HIV, I will definitely know how to move on
with a normal life. As the days, weeks and months went by my
knowledge increased and my fear decreased. Were these months easy
- surely not, but I had to fight and move on. God did not allow
this to happen to me because I was the worst person, but He allowed
this to happen so I can bring out the best in me for myself and
others in a similar situation. Learning about HIV enabled me take
the next steps. I was now ready to claim back myself esteem and
confidence. I knew this was a calling for me to make a difference
not only in my life but in the lives of many other young women,
men, girls, boys and children who are infected and affected by this
epidemic. The time had come for me to break the silence. I knew it
was not going to be easy to disclose my HIV status to my family,
friends and the community. I asked myself many times - Charlotte do
you really have to do this? HIV is so highly stigmatised in my
society.
Recognising the need to fight stigma helped me make up my mind. I
had to show and teach those who discriminated against people living
with HIV/AIDS that it was simply their ignorance about HiV/AIDS
that caused them to stigmatise HIV+ people. I wanted to show
everyone that as a person living with HIV/AIDS, I and others are
not VICTIMS. A victim is one with no control over the unfavourable
circumstances in their lives. But this is not the way I see myself
and others living with HIV/AIDS. Because even though we are
infected with HIV we still have a choice and the resolve to lead a
meaningful life, It is all a matter of the decision one takes.
After having educated my family about HIV/AIDS for over a year to
try and prepare them to receive the news I had for them, I then
disclosed to them. They were shocked, angry and sad. My parents
felt like life had been unfair to them. But, when they started to
see that I was still a happy young woman, with goals and dreams for
even a better future they also learned to accept my status and
decided to fellow my motto: "With HIV infection one can either
allow it to be an obstacle to a truthful life ahead or use it as
stepping stone to a determined and productive life"
When I started going public about my status I already knew people
would discriminate against me but that did not bother me because I
knew that the people who discriminated were the very ones who
needed to be educated. It was obvious to me to that depending on
how I treated others and presented myself people will respond to me
in a similar manner. If you treat yourself as a shameful HIV VICTIM
others will be happy to treat you that way as well, but if you
treat yourself as a positive ROLE MODEL they'll accept and respect
you. I let people see and know that I'm not an HIV statistic, but
a dynamic young woman full of life, and with dignity, who happen,
to have HIV infection.
Today I stand here knowing for sure that not many young women and
men or matured women and men have the courage to do what I'm doing.
I made a conscious effort to be a leader in showing that an HIV
diagnosis is not the end of ones life. Many in a similar situation
would not even go out to learn and update themselves with
information about this virus that is affecting us so much. Not many
can stand the risk of being discriminated against. Many are still
dying in fear and many are still in the VICTIM mindset. We need to
help them make the transition from a victim to victor.
Fellow AFRICANS, our distinguished leaders and friends of Africa
around the world present at this conference, our continent did not
have to be devastated like this by HIV/AIDS. We should not have
allowed it get to this stage and we therefore have the
responsibility to reverse the situation.
My appeal today is this:
To the leaders of our communities, the leaders of our countries yes
something is being done about HIV/AIDS, but the problem far
outstrips our current effects and solutions. We need a lot more
action where it matters most - to reach young people, children at
the grassroots, and to deal with poverty which is breeding HIV
infection, fear, hopelessness and premature death.
The poor in our communities, girls, boys, the young and matured
women and men need to be empowered with knowledge on how to deal
with the burden of HIV/ADS, and find the means to cope with poverty
without putting themselves at the risk of HIV infection. We need to
ensure that those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS are offered
meaningful alternatives so that they can cope, and not die without
dignity as many of them are now doing, Poor people have dignity,
and value their lives like the rest of you. They should become
empowered so that they can find solutions to the many problems
affecting their lives, including HIV/AIDS,
Leadership needs to play a major role in reversing the stigma
attached to HIV/AIDS because no matter what we do as long as there
are misconceptions, negative attitudes and beliefs about HIV/AIDS
and those infected and affected, stigma will continue to take a
strong root, and render our interventions ineffective.
It is time many leaders in our communities and countries start to
break the silence too and disclose their HIV status. If leaders In
governments, private sector, churches and so forth urge their
people to test for HIV, these leaders need to take that giant step
first - it is called leading by example. The more we have more
prominent men and women talk about their HIV status the better the
chances of reducing stigma. I sincerely admire and honour noble men
like Judge Edwin Cameron of South Africa who did not let their high
standing in society discourage them disclosing their HIV + status.
The rights of people living with HIV/AIDS are violated without any
sanctions. This offence needs to be taken seriously because if it
is not dealt with, it will deter many positive people from making
their contributions as frontline HIV/AIDS educators and
counsellors.
A major role still needs to be played by the leadership to make
available affordable treatment for HIV infected pregnant women, and
HIV related illnesses. Anti-retroviral treatment has proven to help
many people's health improve - The life of an African with HIV
should not be seen to be less than that of his or her counterpart
in other parts of the world.
The needs of young people, infected or affected should be given
high priority. And, in this regard parents, school authorities,
religious and community leaders and all stakeholders should ensure
that young people have the information, skills, and resources to
cope with the situation.
Finally, on behalf of the Society for women and AIDS in Africa
(SWAA), and in particular the South Africa branch of SWAA of which
I am a member, I will like to thank the organizers for the
opportunity to share my experience at this conference. Thank you
all.
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the
Africa Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC provides
accessible information and analysis in order to promote U.S.
and international policies toward Africa that advance economic,
political and social justice and the full spectrum of human
rights.
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