Aids in Africa
The Aids epidemic causes mainly in Africa the most victoms. "Black Africa", the part of Africa beneath the Sahara counts the most infections. In whole Africa HIV occurs but 66% percent of the infected people live in "Black Africa". That is one out of every 12 adults!
Why does Aids occur so much in Africa?
Aids became a epidemic in Africa. Unfortunately governments of the (South) African countries did not want to see this for years. This made prevention a lot more difficult. But besides that, women are seen as the responsible for the spreading of the HIV virus. They are often seen as "of nature sexual unclean". The women would make men so excited that they loose all control. Not true of course. But the way of thinking in African countries differs a lot with our Western way of thinking. Women stand low in the society and often end up in prostitution what also brings a new high risk of infection.
What kind of impact had Aids at the society?
Because there a less or no treatments available for HIV-positive people, the people in Africa get very sick after a few years. HIV caused Aids and patients get very ill. Because of the fact that most of the time different diseases occur at the same time by one person, there is often no hope left. Because of the many sick people there will become a big pressure at the already weak economy of the society. Sick people can not work anymore. Women often do not work but are responsible for the children and the house holding. If their husbands get sick, also the women and her children does not have any income. This causes poverty and criminality. Women get in prostitution and also get sick: a circle that goes round and round and escaping is almost impossible.
Prevention
To challenge the epidemic is only possible by starting at the root of the problem: reduce the amount of infections so that the epidemic can be eliminated. This is much more difficult than is thought. The population needs to be informed about the risks. Women often do want to listen but men are a much bigger problem. They think that condoms are not needed. Also the Orthodox-Christian church is against condoms. No sex before marriage and being faithful during marriage is their solution. Campaigns often can reach the women and the get convinced. But men have the power and so women can nog convince their husbands. Also the government has denied the problem for a long period. At this moment the governments finally do recognize the problem but there is no money for treatments, care and medicines. Oxfam International, a help organization, tries to convince the pharmaceutics industries to make cheaper medicines that are comparable with the current medicines. But this gets a lot of critic by the pharmaceutics industries. So it is not easy to fight against the Aids problem. There is more money needed, cheaper medicines and a lot of information.
What does NABUUR try to do against the Aids problem?
The volunteers of NABUUR try to set up HIV Awareness Campaigns in different African countries. They want to give information about HIV to women and man and they want to teach them about the risks and consequences. Keeping the population informed maybe will result in another way of thinking, which can nog be easily changed. And that needs a lot of courage, energy and dedication.
NABUUR and Aids in Africa
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