Editorial

The AIDS myth

It is time that we learnt to face reality and address the issue before it worsens.

Editorial September 04, 2011

For a long time, we have fooled ourselves into believing that AIDS/HIV is not a serious problem in our country. The disease continues to be associated with certain kinds of lifestyle. In the hypocritical environment we have created for ourselves, we like to believe that such behaviour does not exist in our midst. This is a dangerous misconception.

A new report by the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS/HIV states that among 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Pakistan hosts a majority of people infected with HIV. According to UNAIDS, HIV prevalence in Pakistan nearly doubled from 11 per cent in 2005 to 21 per cent in 2008. The use of injectable drugs is seen as the key factor in this. Previous studies conducted locally have also come up with the same findings. Most of those carrying the infection are young and the stigma they suffer often means they are unable to obtain the help and support that they need.

It is time that we learnt to face reality and address the issue before it worsens. The World Bank in past reports has noted that the problem in Pakistan has the potential of a very rapid multiplication in the number of people with the disease. We need to take measures immediately. In the first place, far greater awareness about the modes of transmission needs to be created and widely publicised. We cannot afford to be coy about this. In the past, television advertising has been so oblique that it has left people mystified rather than informed. This needs to change. We must also work to alter the ill-founded notions people have about HIV and those who suffer from it. These people do not deserve to be discriminated against, especially in a society such as ours with no counselling or safety nets. We need more openness about the illness and a willingness to accept the fact that it must be dealt with just like we need to deal with all the other issues in our society that we tend to ignore for ‘moral’ reasons.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (1)

Dr. Jay A. Drosin | 12 years ago | Reply The major challenge, one I have faced in the past in Zaires early Condom Social Marketing project, was to make people understand what AIDS is, its transmission and prevention. As an anthropologist and public health specialist,its obvious that you need to understand the culture, the values that are attributed to age groups and find a message that is meaningful to your at risk audience. A man of 18 does not share the same desires, needs and values that impact on his comportment. Shame amongst his peers is not a problem for an 18 year old but a man of 50 lives in an environment of family and extended family within a neighborhood as well. Different strokes for different folks and above all, POPULARIZE your approach, to make it relevant, understandable within the context of the world view of your target audience. What we created and used in the late 80's in Zaire still remain the gold standard to approach the mind of the population and change their understanding and comportment. Last but not least, we are so burdened with care and treatment that prevention, a major starting point, appears to be more and more neglected. Good luck.

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