October 2016

Oct 26, 2016

Dear aidsfocus readers,

In China, doctors charge extortionate fees before they will operate on HIV-positive patients. In Kenya, HIV-positive women are forcibly sterilised. In Switzerland, an infected man described how a space suddenly opened up around him in a crowd when he revealed that he had dropped his HIV medication. HIV-positive people are forced to answer the question: how did you get AIDS? How and where were you infected? Questions which, with regard to other illnesses like, for example, cancer or diabetes, are never asked.

The AIDS epidemic has been a wake-up call for us all: human dignity is violable! There are countless examples like the ones above. Even thirty years after the outbreak of this disease, human rights' violations, stigmatisation and discrimination against infected people are key factors in the impediment or denial of adequate prevention and treatment. Annually, around one million people worldwide die because fear of stigmatisation prevents them from seeking treatment. The fight goes on and it must continue with increased commitment if we are to achieve the 2030 goal of “Zero Discrimination”.

The era of the great AIDS campaigns is over. However, it is clear that without the reactivation of these campaigns and their political commitment, their advocacy for the rights of those affected and the mobilisation of communities, the targeted objectives will not be achieved. “Invest in advocacy” is hence one of the key factors in the UNAIDS Fast Track Campaign: people must be informed about their rights and empowered to stand up for them. Studies prove that the mobilisation of communities and the implementation of advocacy programmes significantly reduces the incidence of at risk groups becoming infected with HIV. After more than thirty years of experience with HIV/AIDS programmes and projects, it is increasingly recognised that the inclusion of infected people and communities leads to better results, for example, in adherence to medication, than state healthcare institutions can produce.

The motor for these movements has always been committed personalities who relay their vision and hope with strong personal commitment, heart and mind. Courageous people such as the HIV-positive vicar from South Africa, Phumzile Mabizela, who is portrayed in our Aids Hilfe Bern “Topic of the Month” and who boldly names the problems, empathetically advocates for infected people and campaigns for greater public tolerance.

Martina Staenke
Collaborator communication Medicus Mundi Switzerland
mstaenke@medicusmundi.ch