What Is Your Contribution To World AIDS Day 2017?

maryfavour (63) in worldaidsday • 7 years ago (edited)

My younger sister, @trendyevents, made and decorated this lovely cake last year. I encouraged her to make the cake in solidarity with the global total of 36.7 million people living with HIV/AIDS .

worldaidsday health food nigeria africa

7 years ago by maryfavour (63)

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gloglo (63) · 7 years ago

It's a good way of making aids patients know that despite what they are going through the society has come to accept them and celebrate them.

I remembered when victimisation and stigmatization was on the high side, this I realised made the spread of AIDs really very high and easy because no one wanted to open up so as to avoid being stigmatized and so it was easy to pass around.

There is a woman who works in my mum's office with HIV yet she is living well and taking her ARVs and living a normal life too. It is even better as these drugs has been subsidized by the government.

So a good one to @trendyevents for taking out time to make a lovely cake in order to celebrate AIDs patients. It is necessary AIDs patients know that just like every one they are equally loved.

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maryfavour (63) · 7 years ago

I remembered when victimisation and stigmatization was on the high side, this I realised made the spread of AIDs really very high and easy because no one wanted to open up so as to avoid being stigmatized and so it was easy to pass around.

Nobody likes to be labelled, let alone PLWHAs. So, when they sense that they are being discriminated against, they go into hiding and refuse to disclose their HIV status to anyone. Like you rightly stated the consequence of stigmatization of PLWHAs is higher HIV prevalence rate.

There is a woman who works in my mum's office with HIV yet she is living well and taking her ARVs and living a normal life too. It is even better as these drugs has been subsidized by the government.

Thank you very much, @gloglo, for this true story which lends credence to the fact that HIV is no longer a death sentence. I also know people who have been on Antiretroviral therapy (Anti-HIV drugs) for about 10 years now and they are still alive! Thanks to the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) too for subsidizing medications for PLWHAs.

Thank you for appreciating @trendyevents for her support and solidarity for PLWAHAs.

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gloglo (63) · 7 years ago (edited)

The pleasure is all mine. Keep being awesome.

Did you say 10 years and still living? Thats great. It shows that things are getting better.

Now people are more educated and the rate of ignorance reduced, PLWHAs are freer and happy that there are people who cares about their welfare.

Most people do not hide it anymore as long as they are taking their ARVs judiciously .

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oluwatobiloba (69) · 7 years ago

It's so good that we now have people who can encourage people living with aids rather them segregate them and make them feel irrelevant.
Gone are those days when we will hear about people committing suicide because they have the virus, all thanks to agencies who organize programs and to individuals with a good heart like yours who make them feel loved. Cheers.

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maryfavour (63) · 7 years ago

Hello, @oluwatobiloba. There is no reason for any PLWHA to want to commit suicide these days. All they just need to counselling, continual care and support.

...all thanks to agencies who organize programs and to individuals with a good heart like yours who make them feel loved.

Awww...thank you so much for appreciating us and the work we do.

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oluwatobiloba (69) · 7 years ago

The pleasure is mine Ma'am.

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oluwatobiloba (69) · 7 years ago

The pleasure is mine Ma'am.

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bollutech (60) · 7 years ago (edited)

Recently, people are encouraging AIDs victims than before.
Because as I can see that the development in west africa is no more like a death sentence.
Victims of AIDs has been given a new reason to be happy and see themselves as a normal complete human than when it goes viral in west africa.

I hope we will give life and more support to them, for them to know we are with them both in spirit and physical.

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maryfavour (63) · 7 years ago

I agree with you that care and support for People living with HIV/ADS (PLWHAs) is better now than when HIV prevalence rate was high.

I hope we will give life and more support to them

This is the job of you and I. I appreciate your comment. Cheers.

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greenrun (66) · 7 years ago

That's a large number of people. Thankfully, the improvement in health no longer translate to AIDs being a death sentence. It is now like most diseases that don't have cure but could be managed. Thanks.

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maryfavour (63) · 7 years ago (edited)

Yes, @greenrun. It is quite a huge number of people in the world. Nigeria alone contributes to about 10 % to that global total with about 3.5 million living with HIV/AIDS. New and better ways of management are key to curb further spread of the infectious disease. That is mainly what I've dedicated the last 20 years (about half) of my life doing: Research, prevention and care of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs). My entire M.Sc. thesis was dedicated to millions of Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS.

My PhD thesis would be dedicated these same PLWHAs and those who suffer from hypertensive heart disease (HHD), a non-communicable disease (NCD).

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greenrun (66) · 7 years ago

That's some scary statistics. Using 192 million as Nigeria's population, 3.5 million is about 1.8% of the total population. That's a lot of people. Wow

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maryfavour (63) · 7 years ago (edited)

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) 2016 annual report highlights a prevalence rate of 3.0% (2014).
Yes, the statistics is scary, but HIV prevalence rate is lower now, because of the great work that has been done by all of us stakeholders and those who have died due to AIDS related and non-AIDS related diseases.
In 2002, Benue State alone had an HIV prevalence rate of 10%. It was a hot spot state where many of us had to visit to do thorough research of what was going on. I was privileged to work for UNAIDS at that time.
In Abuja too, during my internship in NIPRD (1997 & 1998), I observed that about 10 % of patients who were sent to us at the virology and immunology laboratory, from Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital tested positive to HIV. So, Nigeria has really come a long way in combating the spread of HIV.

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greenrun (66) · 7 years ago

Ok. That depends on the data they used in their calculation. I assumed Nigeria is 192 million, if I reduce that number the percentage goes higher. But between 1.8% to 3% is an alarming high rate of people infected. During your research, what particular thing did you discover to be the result of such high number of infected people?

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maryfavour (63) · 7 years ago (edited)

Like you, in the past, I calculated prevalence rate dividing the number of PLWHAs by the total population of Nigerians. The number didn't tally with the one reported. I think the reason is that the subset of the population used for HIV sentinel survey, women attending antenatal clinic (ANC).

During your research, what particular thing did you discover to be the result of such high number of infected people?

Generally, there are factors that determine health. From our in-depth interview (IDI) sessions with patients (PLHAs), nurses, doctors etc at FMC Makurdi, we discovered the following

Socio-cultural factors e.g giving of wife as kola to a friend who visits
Poverty: this has made many remain in a relationship with a spouse/partner who exhibits risky sexual behaviour. No money to buy medications etc.
Ignorance of the various modes of transmission of HIV
Myths and misconceptions: It's always one witch or another that has killed a PLWHA.
Moral factor: Many believe that sexual intercourse is the only way through which HIV is transmitted. So whoever contracts HIV is a sinner.
Denial and Complacency: When PLWH are told that they've tested positive to the virus, they reject it in Jesus name Many whose risk factors of contracting HIV are high (maybe they have one or more sexually transmitted infections (STIs) will not even bother to go for HIV screening test.
Lack of access to treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART): Coverage for treatment of PLWHAs have been low. It's getting better now with the recent National Health Policy.
General discrimination against PLWHAs

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greenrun (66) · 7 years ago

That denial and complacency sounds like something that usually happens here.

I've always heard about the kola business which I still find hard to believe. But everyone can't be lying, so I guess it's true. But I doubt if that tradition is still happening as of now.

That poverty factor affects women more in particular and I still think it's a sad affair to watch one partner infect the other through risky lifestyle.

You did a thorough job as you just enumerated all the factors in one fell swoop. Thanks a lot.

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sbamsoneu (68) · 7 years ago

This really lovely.. I guess she is into public health cos Not everyone would have remembered to do that Symbol she did on the cake..

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maryfavour (63) · 7 years ago (edited)

By profession, @trendyevents is a microbiologist, so in a way she is into public health. Regarding the red ribbon that she used in decorating the cake, I asked her to add them. We also dedicate today to the 3.5 million Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS. Thanks for the compliment, @sbamsoneu.

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