Paul Kimumwe
For all the achievements that there have been in the fight against AIDS, none has been more effective that communication. Simple as it is, it has been responsible for massive strides in the reduction of HIV prevalence.
At its basic, AIDS communication has been about telling people how AIDS can be spread, the symptoms, prevention methods, and where to seek treatment from. This is the stage of creating awareness.
The end result has to be behaviour change. Period! Any thing less of this, the efforts would be deemed wasted.
By its nature, AIDS was a myth to the world. Its emergence has been a challenge to all aspects of life. Responding to it required immediate and drastic actions, which the world was not prepared for at the time, even up to now. For some, the realities were too harsh to bear.
You could not talk about AIDS without talking sex. Yet talking sex at the time represented the highest level of immorality. It was taboo. More so, admission to having AIDS in your country meant losing out on revenues from the tourism industry.
Unfortunately, the rate at which it was obliterating communities demanded that it was time to face the music. There was little else left to do.
As researchers, clinicians, and herbalists grappled to find a cure, it was important that preventive measures are given priority. Up to until now, the AIDS cure is still elusive, infection rates are still high and prevalence levels have stagnated.
AIDS and young people
But one of the biggest victims of AIDS have been the children. Not only has it redefined the very meaning of childhood for millions, it has gone ahead to deprive many of their human rights; the care, love and affection of their parents; of their teachers and other role models; of education and options for the future; and of protection against exploitation and abuse.
According to a stocktaking report, “Children and AIDS” released by United for Children, United against AIDS early this year (2007), it is estimated that 2.3 million children under 15 years old are infected with HIV, 15.2 million children under 18 have lost on or both parents to AIDS, and millions more have been vulnerable.
The report notes that the risks inherent in these statistics are many, as children affected by AIDS may experience poverty, homelessness, school drop-out, discrimination, loss of life opportunities and early death.
The report further notes that “the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) especially MDG 6, which is to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 will not be reached without integrating approaches to children and AIDS with approaches to child health and survival”.
Talking to them about AIDS
For this to happen, it means that young people will, by themselves, have to make critical decisions regarding their sexual lives. Society can only do so much.
However, many young people still engage in risky sexual behaviours with little or no knowledge, skills and resources to have health sexual relationships and protect themselves against the risks of HIV and AIDS and unwanted pregnancies.
Studies done by the Guttmacher Institute in four African countries of Ghana, Uganda, Burkina Faso and Malawi show that young people are not getting the information they need to protect themselves against HIV.
Traditionally, aunties, uncles or grandparents, depending on the cultural area, played the role of providing sexuality education to adolescents within the family setting. However, this practice has been eroded by modernisation, leaving an information vacuum.
Adolescents particularly those who are out of school, now have no one to turn to – except perhaps their peers and siblings – to address their information needs and concerns on AIDS, sexual and reproductive health issues.
The Guttmachers studies show that some mothers are making attempts to fill the gap, but in light of the new adolescent sexual and reproductive challenges, particularly those posed by HIV and AIDS, they need to be equipped with accurate information and appropriate skills to establish an effective dialogue with their children.
Of importance also is the need to sensitise and persuade the fathers to appreciate their roles and responsibilities so that they can become more proactive in the lives of their children.
This is because, in the era of HIV and AIDS, where behaviour change is plays a key role, awareness creation is just a step in the process. For messages to take root and be acted upon, they must be simple, repeated and provide answers to the so what questions, which is always asked in any behaviour change communications. Why should I behave in a certain way? Why should I use a condom? Why should I abstain? The list goes continues…
For all the achievements that there have been in the fight against AIDS, none has been more effective that communication. Simple as it is, it has been responsible for massive strides in the reduction of HIV prevalence.
At its basic, AIDS communication has been about telling people how AIDS can be spread, the symptoms, prevention methods, and where to seek treatment from. This is the stage of creating awareness.
The end result has to be behaviour change. Period! Any thing less of this, the efforts would be deemed wasted.
By its nature, AIDS was a myth to the world. Its emergence has been a challenge to all aspects of life. Responding to it required immediate and drastic actions, which the world was not prepared for at the time, even up to now. For some, the realities were too harsh to bear.
You could not talk about AIDS without talking sex. Yet talking sex at the time represented the highest level of immorality. It was taboo. More so, admission to having AIDS in your country meant losing out on revenues from the tourism industry.
Unfortunately, the rate at which it was obliterating communities demanded that it was time to face the music. There was little else left to do.
As researchers, clinicians, and herbalists grappled to find a cure, it was important that preventive measures are given priority. Up to until now, the AIDS cure is still elusive, infection rates are still high and prevalence levels have stagnated.
AIDS and young people
But one of the biggest victims of AIDS have been the children. Not only has it redefined the very meaning of childhood for millions, it has gone ahead to deprive many of their human rights; the care, love and affection of their parents; of their teachers and other role models; of education and options for the future; and of protection against exploitation and abuse.
According to a stocktaking report, “Children and AIDS” released by United for Children, United against AIDS early this year (2007), it is estimated that 2.3 million children under 15 years old are infected with HIV, 15.2 million children under 18 have lost on or both parents to AIDS, and millions more have been vulnerable.
The report notes that the risks inherent in these statistics are many, as children affected by AIDS may experience poverty, homelessness, school drop-out, discrimination, loss of life opportunities and early death.
The report further notes that “the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) especially MDG 6, which is to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 will not be reached without integrating approaches to children and AIDS with approaches to child health and survival”.
Talking to them about AIDS
For this to happen, it means that young people will, by themselves, have to make critical decisions regarding their sexual lives. Society can only do so much.
However, many young people still engage in risky sexual behaviours with little or no knowledge, skills and resources to have health sexual relationships and protect themselves against the risks of HIV and AIDS and unwanted pregnancies.
Studies done by the Guttmacher Institute in four African countries of Ghana, Uganda, Burkina Faso and Malawi show that young people are not getting the information they need to protect themselves against HIV.
Traditionally, aunties, uncles or grandparents, depending on the cultural area, played the role of providing sexuality education to adolescents within the family setting. However, this practice has been eroded by modernisation, leaving an information vacuum.
Adolescents particularly those who are out of school, now have no one to turn to – except perhaps their peers and siblings – to address their information needs and concerns on AIDS, sexual and reproductive health issues.
The Guttmachers studies show that some mothers are making attempts to fill the gap, but in light of the new adolescent sexual and reproductive challenges, particularly those posed by HIV and AIDS, they need to be equipped with accurate information and appropriate skills to establish an effective dialogue with their children.
Of importance also is the need to sensitise and persuade the fathers to appreciate their roles and responsibilities so that they can become more proactive in the lives of their children.
This is because, in the era of HIV and AIDS, where behaviour change is plays a key role, awareness creation is just a step in the process. For messages to take root and be acted upon, they must be simple, repeated and provide answers to the so what questions, which is always asked in any behaviour change communications. Why should I behave in a certain way? Why should I use a condom? Why should I abstain? The list goes continues…
2 comments:
Hi Kimumwe,
Am happy you are back behind your blog once again! Please keep it running! If you don't who will? I must applaud you for your advocacy against the HIV/AIDS scourge!
Thanks Henry. Please keep visiting and sharing ideas.
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