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Uganda: Spare These Children Infected With HIV
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The Monitor (Kampala)
EDITORIAL
21 May 2008
Posted to the web 21 May 2008
Kampala
On Sunday the world marked the International Aids Vaccine Awareness Day. This is yet another of those numerous efforts to create awareness about this disease and highlight efforts being made to find a cure and a medical preventive method.
It is also intended to bring hope to the many that are suffering or those with relatives carrying the disease.
Sadly, reports from Jinja indicate that these messages have not been taken seriously. A probation officer has said that the majority of babies being dumped on garbage skips are HIV-positive (Daily Monitor, May 19, Page 4).
This is sad especially that a lot of efforts are being made to address the plight of those with HIV or those who have reached full-blown Aids. A lot of interventions have been made by the government, private medical providers like mission hospitals and other agencies. In almost all districts, services are being provided mostly free of charge and ARVs are being provided as well.
The interventions are so many that many providers are asking for people to go for free testing so as to access these services but they are getting little response. That would presume that citizens should not become hopeless with the reality of a person being infected since help is not far away.
Unfortunately some people think otherwise. The little ones who are born HIV-positive are victims of the mothers' reluctance to go for tests whereby the newborn could be saved. In case the mother was found HIV-positive, she could at least save the baby as well as access free services.
But because some people still believe that having Aids is similar to being condemned to death, taking care of such innocent babies is unthinkable. The situation may be compounded by the fact that some men run away from their responsibility. This poses a challenge to intensify Aids information dissemination and also to crack down on men and mothers who refuse to take on their responsibilities.
Through such measures, especially through information sharing, some people will learn that there are some heroes who have conquered Aids and now live beyond 25 years with the disease.
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Such facts could go a long way in raising hope among those that have become hopeless. But for now all must be done to save these innocent babies.
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