Comments on: A Good Week for Widespread Media Coverage of HIV/AIDS http://www.journaids.org/blog/2007/03/30/a-good-week-for-widespread-media-coverage-of-hivaids/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:23:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 Comment on A Good Week for Widespread Media Coverage of HIV/AIDS by: Martin Leigh http://www.journaids.org/blog/2007/03/30/a-good-week-for-widespread-media-coverage-of-hivaids/#comment-24750 Sat, 31 Mar 2007 12:36:42 +0000 http://www.journaids.org/blog/2007/03/30/a-good-week-for-widespread-media-coverage-of-hivaids/#comment-24750 There is still such enormous denial about HIV and Aids in South Africa. And not just by Government. Business does little and has acted little upon it to truly change the status quo of the epidemic. Many people feel they have heard enough about it. But still too few understand about transmission of HIV. Many think that one can be infected with one act of sexual intercourse with or wihtout a condom and it means that HIV positive people are still discriminated against, too few people come out. there is too little information around and few people understand drug resistance of HIV - the fact that the HIV can be drug resistant to the medication. with only 2 or 3 lines available at most in South Africa and queue's growing at the clinics, and stil we have about 250 000 people on medication in a country of an estimated 5.3 Million infected what does it mean in the future? The last visit to Helen Joseph where I go, the queue's were intolerable and for the first time I went private and bought the medication at the private wing of the hospital. Also from giving a 3 month supply in November, I was told at Helen Jospeh which is supposed to be one of the best in the country, they would be giving supplies for 1 month only due a lack of supplies. This has increased the queue's and number of people having to come back more often to be seen. It simply makes no sense and if it continues will be unmanageable. What about the expected growth in the number of patients. If they are struggling now, what will the future hold? There seems to be a lack of commitment to continue with the sustainable roll out of ARV's across the country and too few people understand about drug resistance, and the fact they have to make their combination lst for as long as possible. I know people missing doses over the weekend and continue to have unprotected sex with their partners (who are also HIV+) and this could mean that the medication becomes resistant to the virus, and will no longer work. South Africans have to uderstand that they have to make sure that the current combination they are on needs to last them for the next 3 -4 years before any new drugs become available in South Africa. The South African economy is booming and too few people are getting rich while the poor get poorer often. House prices are out of control. There is a huge shortage of housing and accomodation for everyone. It seems that the HIV pandemic has been good for the economy with life assurance refusing payouts even when it was illlegal to do so. Employers are not encouraging HIV testing enough and policies within companies are unclear. In an economy where people are expected to travel many hours from their home, little emphasis is placed upon being sick or been unable to work full time. If you can't work, you don't get paid. Period. Too often the unsophisticated who are at the brunt end of the epidemic don't get time off work to visit the clinic or hospital, get treated or get proper medical treatment. In South Africa the divide between rich and poor is as high as ever and with new immigrants from Zimbabwe and the Congo has meant it has created an accomodation crisis in a country which already had one. House prices are through the roof and much still remains the same in South Africa. The same wealth gaps exist as before and few seem to care about it. Martin Leigh Knowingly HIV+ since March 2000 There is still such enormous denial about HIV and Aids in South Africa. And not just by Government. Business does little and has acted little upon it to truly change the status quo of the epidemic. Many people feel they have heard enough about it. But still too few understand about transmission of HIV. Many think that one can be infected with one act of sexual intercourse with or wihtout a condom and it means that HIV positive people are still discriminated against, too few people come out. there is too little information around and few people understand drug resistance of HIV - the fact that the HIV can be drug resistant to the medication. with only 2 or 3 lines available at most in South Africa and queue’s growing at the clinics, and stil we have about 250 000 people on medication in a country of an estimated 5.3 Million infected what does it mean in the future? The last visit to Helen Joseph where I go, the queue’s were intolerable and for the first time I went private and bought the medication at the private wing of the hospital. Also from giving a 3 month supply in November, I was told at Helen Jospeh which is supposed to be one of the best in the country, they would be giving supplies for 1 month only due a lack of supplies. This has increased the queue’s and number of people having to come back more often to be seen. It simply makes no sense and if it continues will be unmanageable. What about the expected growth in the number of patients. If they are struggling now, what will the future hold? There seems to be a lack of commitment to continue with the sustainable roll out of ARV’s across the country and too few people understand about drug resistance, and the fact they have to make their combination lst for as long as possible. I know people missing doses over the weekend and continue to have unprotected sex with their partners (who are also HIV+) and this could mean that the medication becomes resistant to the virus, and will no longer work. South Africans have to uderstand that they have to make sure that the current combination they are on needs to last them for the next 3 -4 years before any new drugs become available in South Africa.

The South African economy is booming and too few people are getting rich while the poor get poorer often. House prices are out of control. There is a huge shortage of housing and accomodation for everyone. It seems that the HIV pandemic has been good for the economy with life assurance refusing payouts even when it was illlegal to do so. Employers are not encouraging HIV testing enough and policies within companies are unclear. In an economy where people are expected to travel many hours from their home, little emphasis is placed upon being sick or been unable to work full time. If you can’t work, you don’t get paid. Period. Too often the unsophisticated who are at the brunt end of the epidemic don’t get time off work to visit the clinic or hospital, get treated or get proper medical treatment. In South Africa the divide between rich and poor is as high as ever and with new immigrants from Zimbabwe and the Congo has meant it has created an accomodation crisis in a country which already had one. House prices are through the roof and much still remains the same in South Africa. The same wealth gaps exist as before and few seem to care about it.

Martin Leigh
Knowingly HIV+ since March 2000

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