Kampala — Over 8,000 people worldwide die of HIV/AIDS daily. UNAIDS estimates that there are now 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS, including 2.5million children.
The epidemic is increasing. During 2007, some 2.5million people were living with the virus. A total of 95% of these people live in developing nations.
It is against this background that scribes living with HIV/AIDS in the region established a network of Journalists Living with HIV/AIDS (JLWHA). The purpose is to collectively promote a vibrant media fully engaged in the response to HIV/AIDS.
The week-long meeting attracted journalists living with HIV/AIDS from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. They shared their experiences as victims of the AIDS scourge and described the devastating effect of the disease upon themselves.
The journalists resolved to put journalistic living with HIV/AIDS at the centre of the fight since they had a story to tell everyday of their lives.
They said they want to be at the forefront of the fight and publicly give testimonies regarding their status.
They also vowed to sensitise more journalists on issues of care, protection, support and treatment.
They also want to influence the media to publish more stories on the pandemic.
The scribes' love for their countries is evident in their publications and public declaration about their status.
Musengeri narrated how, in the beginning, he was in shock, angry, heartbroken and filled with grief and hopelessness. Eventually he learnt to accept the fact that he was HIV-positive and decided to take action.
Once he had accepted the truth, he expected everyone else to accept it. He was wrong. Instead, he received rejection, isolation and humiliation.
His employers withdrew his retainer fee and ordered him to hand over all the company property.
Today, Musengeri has taken to "preaching" to the whole district of Busia where he is a community mobiliser. He preaches compassion, dignity, courage, love, awareness of risks, the need for unity between people living with HIV/AIDS and the promise of hope.
"In doing this, I want others to realise that HIV can infect any human being and those it chooses are not somehow less human. I want to tell the world that I am not a victim but rather a messenger of hope," he says.
Evelyn Simaloy from Kenya discovered her HIV status in 1999. She had turned to commercial sex to pay her school fees. Today, she is an activist in her country.
EremeyasMekonon wanted to take a lead and make a difference in his area after seeing the epidemic destroying his fellow Ethiopians. He fought a tough battle and he narrates an incident when his wife became a victim of a rapist who removed her right eye.
His wife's cry of: " No! No! I am HIV-positive, please leave me," did not stop the rapist from grabbing her neck and throwing her onto the bed, raping her and afterwards sticking his fingers and pulling out her eyes.
Tamerat narrated how in Ethiopia they had no facilities to carry out tests. The well-to-do had to go abroad for testing.
He says the only messages in the media were: "AIDS kills and the moment you get it you are finished, you will die." Such kind of messages made people afraid to take the tests.
"I tried to fight these messages and the government was not willing to take my advice. I was determined to go on with my campaign since it was I with the problem," he says.
As for me, some of the reasons for going public about my condition were altruistic, others selfish. I wanted to give a face to HIV, especially among professionals, to let them know that with good care, love and antiretroviral drugs, one can still enjoy a good degree of health and even continue practicing their profession.
The testimonies went a long way in confirming that the journalists are ready to lead and expound on the HIV messages of treatment, care and prevention.
While inaugurating the network, Panos Eastern Africa Regional programme coordinator, Paul Banoba, said the workshop was to provide closer focus on the organisation's response to HIV/AIDS.
He said the network would help ensure expanded and informed coverage on HIV/AIDS issues, and also see how journalists can use the media.
Luther Anukur, the executive director Panos, officiated at the workshop's closing ceremony.
He said success will be achieved when HIV positive scribes take the lead in the fight.
"The network is timely and gives a very strong foundation for advocacy," he said.
"Media is the single most powerful tool because it influences attitudes, behaviour, opinion and decision. Positive journalists should be involved in planning and implementation of programmes if we are to win the battle," he said.
Key Points:
The journalists aim to work together on regional initiatives to promote a vibrant media fully engaged in the response to HIV/AIDS.
The first meetings were held between November 27 and December 1 at Masai Maraa Lodge in Nairobi, Kenya.
Regions represented were Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
Panos Eastern Africa,is working to support the establishment of a network.
Members present: Elvis Basudde and David Musengeri - Uganda, Evelyn Simaloy and Lucy Maroncha - Kenya, Ermeyas Mekonon and Tamerat Yemane - Ethiopia and Zephania Musendo - Tanzania.
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I think the 8,000 people worldwide dying everyday is overstated.
We are still losing the fight against AIDS. According to the 11/07 report issued by UN AIDS / WHO, for every HIV+ person worldwide who manages to begin treatment with AIDS medicine, there will be 3 newly infected HIV+ people. Every day, about 5,700 people die from AIDS while 6,800 people become HIV+.
-Richard Brodsky, President Richard M. Brodsky Foundation www.richardmbrodsky.org foundation website www.worldaidsmarathon.com marathon website www.trebloon.com book website www.5kaidscancer.com 5k run/walk in America website
Richard M. Brodsky Foundation 1247 Mara Court Atlantic Beach, NY 11509 Contact: Richard Brodsky Phone: (516)770-7724 E-mail: RichardM.Brodsky@gmail.com
The Richard M. Brodsky Foundation, a 501(c) 3 public charity and the Kisumu World AIDS Marathon Group co-sponsored the 2008 Kisumu World AIDS Marathon / half marathon and a childrens walk for 250 children on World AIDS Day, Dec 1. Mama Sarah, President-elect Barack Obamas grandmother flagged off the marathon and cut the ribbon at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new playground at Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground which was donated from proceeds from the 2007 World AIDS marathon. Kenyas Daily Nation covered the story on its front page with photos of Mama Sarah, http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/497278/-/tm6b7g/-/index.html, and did a follow-up story of how and why the World AIDS marathon evolved, http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/501178/-/view/printVersion/-/5b6yquz/-/ index.html.
I, Richard Brodsky, President of the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation, am HIV+, a brain cancer survivor and a marathon runner. This was the 5th World AIDS Marathon that my wife Jodi and I participating in. We know from experience these Events can only be successful if we have a good team of Kenyans organizing these Events in Kenya; we had a great team. Board member Joseph Ochieng, Architect in charge of CDC Construction Projects in Kisumu, Kenya and International Race-Walker official for Athletics Kenya acted as race director. Board member Alie Eleveld provides clean drinking water through her organization, Safe Water and AIDS Project.
The 2008 World AIDS Marathon and its related Events were attended by over 1,400 people. 288 people participated including 8 wheelchair athletes participated in the Marathon & Half-Marathon 361 orphans were fed at two orphan dinners 250 children participated in the Childrens Walk 500+ people tested for the AIDS virus The Foundation seeks to raise awareness that 2,000,000+ people need not die from AIDS every year. The AIDS medicine and follow-up medical care must be accessible to all people living with HIV. All the AIDS medicine in the world will not help unless clean drinking water and adequate nutritious food is available. Educating people about safe sex, advising people living with HIV not to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, and to get some daily exercisethese are messages that need to reach HIV+ people. It is essential that the media broadcast stories about the 11,400,000 orphans living in sub-Saharan Africa who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. These children could have been our children if we were born in Africa. We are still losing the fight against AIDS. According to the July, 2008 report issued by UN AIDS / WHO, every day, about 5,500 people die from AIDS while 7,400 people become HIV+. The Foundation donates money, www.richardmbrodsky.org/support.html, to homes for orphans in Kenya, AIDS & cancer research projects in America, and to organizations providing aid to people living with HIV and cancer. To make a donation to the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation you can
mail a check to the Foundation, Richard M. Brodsky Fdn, 1247 Mara Court, Atlantic Beach, NY 11509 visit the Foundations website, www.richardmbrodsky.org, click on PayPal or credit card Donate link visit the World AIDS Marathon website, www.worldaidsmarathon.com, click on Donate link A $100 donation will entitle you or your company to have your name on the 2008 (if received before 1/23/09) or 2009 World AIDS Marathon commemorative t-shirt and a $250 donation will entitle you to a logo on the shirt. In addition, a shirt will be mailed to you. For further info about the 2008 World AIDS Marathon, you can visit the marathon website, www.worldaidsmarathon.com. Great photos of the past World AIDS Marathons can be viewed at the Photo links on the marathon website. Photos of the 2008 World AIDS Marathon can be viewed by requesting a press release with photos.
Please consider making your annual contribution to the Richard M. Brodsky Foundation as the Foundations work has become my lifes work. The Foundation also sponsored its first 5k AIDS Cancer Run Walk in Seaford, Long Island on June 22, 2008 and will be sponsoring another 5k on May 31, 2009. There are no other Presidents of Foundations who are HIV+ and have brain cancer whose main fundraising activity is running marathons. But if running marathons can help raise awareness that hundreds of thousand lives can be saved each year if access to the AIDS medicine is free for people who cannot afford the AIDS medicine, then I have no choice but to continue running marathons.
Special thanks to President-elect Barack Obama who has written me four letters over the past five years; President Bill Clinton; Stephen Lewis, United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa; and Senator Ted Kennedy for their encouraging letters of support which can be viewed on the marathon website, http://www.worldaidsmarathon.com/support.html. The One Campaign and American Medical Student Association, www.amsa.org/global/aids/RMBFoundation/PIB.ppt, have been supportive of my work and when colleges have invited me to speak, the local chapters of both groups have paid for my speaking fees. There is a full-page story in the Jan/Feb 2009 issue of HIV-PLUS Magazine, http://www.hivplusmag.com/Story.asp?id=1704&categoryid=16&issue_emi=current &jt=0, about Jodi and me and the Foundations work. Please contact me by E-mail if you would like me to speak and do a powerpoint presentation about the Foundations work.