A Picture of Life with HIV in Africa

Africa. The seed of the world. One of the most beautiful and most
scintillating places on earth. From the deserts of the Sahara and
the rainforests of the Congo to the bright and bustling metropolis
of Cape Town, life is rich everywhere. Yet amidst all this beauty
and splendor, a deadly scourge threatens the people of this
continent. AIDS.

Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV/AIDS than is any
other region in the world. Somewhere around 22.4 million people in
the region are currently living with HIV. This makes up a whopping
two-thirds of the global number of HIV-infected individuals.
Whereas in other areas of the world the disease affects only
certain groups, here, HIV/AIDS affects everyone. This affliction
picks apart whole extended families one by one. Schools are
gradually emptied over time as students are orphaned. Healthcare
and economic development have all taken a hard hit because of the
impact of HIV/AIDS on the African peoples. Organizations simply
don’t have the funds to support or expand prevention, treatment and
care efforts and for this reason, it is likely that the death count
will continue to rise. Life expectancy has been drastically reduced
across the continent, falling to as low as 31 years in some of the
worst afflicted areas. HIV/AIDS is present everywhere we look. It
is an unavoidable aspect of everyday life.

The following dialogue includes excerpts from various interviews. I
spoke with a group of college students who lived for six months in
South Africa and Zambia, another student who lived 2 years in
Nigeria, and a field biologist currently doing research in
Cameroon. Their testimonies will enhance the picture of daily life
in African countries afflicted with HIV/AIDS.

Take the country of Cameroon, for example. As of 2008, the
population in Cameroon neared 19 million. Of that, about 600,000
are living with HIV/AIDS. More than half of that is made up of
women 15 years and older. While prevalence here is much lower than
other countries, HIV/AIDS remains a chief concern. When asked about
general knowledge about the disease, most agreed that the
“information is very available to middle and upper class citizens,
but not necessarily to the lower class citizens and those that are
at highest risk.” There is a large focus on prevention here, and
the country is littered with billboards promoting abstinence, safer
sex practices and condom use.



Public Service Announcement in Cameroon
“Sex can wait…my future comes first.”

South Africa is a key example of a country, of a government that
has failed its people. Until very recently, the government took no
part in the fight against AIDS. Thabo Mbeki, president from 1999 to
2008 refused to believe that HIV causes AIDS and that condoms can
prevent infection. This leadership has fueled outlandish beliefs
such as that condoms cause AIDS, or that white people are pushing
condoms laced with AIDS to wipe out Africans. When asked about the
role of the government in the fight against AIDS, one student said,
“The president is not very influential considering he stated that
he took a shower after having had sex with someone infected with
AIDS, and therefore he would not contract the disease.” Here, she
is referring to the current president, Jacob Zuma, who publicly
stated that showering after sex with an HIV-positive woman would
reduce his risk of being infected. A fellow student added, “NGOs
are much more active. They have done a much better job fighting
AIDS through their provision of important information and items
such as condoms and antiretrovirals.”


Incumbent President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma

The picture of life here has changed drastically since AIDS
exploded on the scene. While treatment and prevention are improving
in some areas, the governments of more conservative countries, such
as South Africa, need to step up and face this issue with full
force so that HIV/AIDS is no longer a shadow looming over the lives
of everyone.

Facts and figures were obtained from AVERT International HIV and
AIDS charity, the Global Health Council, USAID, and Elizabeth
Pisani’s The Wisdom of Whores.

I would like to recognize Albert Noah-Messomo, an African native of
the Beti people in the rainforest of Cameroon. His traditional
African-style music was featured during this Podcast. I would like
to thank Kurt Kristensen, Sara Levintow, Nikki Pagano, and Rebecca
McQuade for their contributions to this Podcast.