Indian children suffering from HIV posing for the camera
According to a joint report issued by the World Health Organization, UNAIDS, and UNICEF, said that India, the world’s second most population nation after China, had made progress in scaling up access over the years, but added that given its robust generic drug industry it could have done better.

“India has done well in scaling up access to the ARV therapy over the last seven years,” says a senior WHO official, suggesting there is still a huge gap to address.

The universal gap between those needing urgent ARV treatment for HIV/AIDS the world over and those unable to have any access to it has climbed to over 15 million people and there is an urgent need for funds to the tune of USD$10 billion, says Rifat Atun, a senior official of the Global Fund which is the main provider of assistance to countries afflicted with HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

India now ranks third in “scaling up access”, after South Africa and Kenya during the last five years.

However, it needs to cross some distance for ensuring universal access for all its HIV/AIDS sufferers.

The HIV/AIDS worldwide logo
Around 3,200,074 have received ARV therapy in India at the end of last year as compared to 2,034,581 patients during the previous year. However, between 1.1 and 1.4 million HIV/AIDS patients have no access for ARV therapy in India.

Given the number of health professionals and the state of the art generic drug industry in India, the performance on the HIV/AIDS front could be far better in comparison with other low-income countries in Southern Africa, say analysts.

India must consider issuing compulsory licenses for ensuring free access to second and third-line treatment for HIV/AIDS patients whose number is steadily climbing. Compulsory licensing enables a national government to revoke a license issued to a patent holder and thereby, allow other parties to produce and sell a patented product for non-commercial purposes.

Several industrialized nations resorted to compulsory licensing to enable their national health departments to procure medicines at low prices so as to provide free of cost in government hospitals.

India is yet to issue a compulsory license despite its rising HIV/AIDS patients who now need second and third-line treatment.

In 2006, Thailand issued compulsory license for the production of patented drugs for its HIV-infected population. Later, Brazil also issued compulsory license for the production of patent-drugs produced by an American pharmaceutical company despite enormous pressure from the US.

“Ultimately, the decision to issue a compulsory license depends on the national government,” says Mari Angela Simao, a senior UNAIDS official.

The Church is still very silent on this issue when it is expected to be at the forefront of the problem.

It is time that all the Churches should shun politics and differences and join hands inter-denominationally and come out with innovative strategies and ideas to maximize the awareness among all classes of people. Church should also think of building hospices for the HIV/AIDS infected, apart from schools, dispensaries that are usually started as a social wing. These should be constructed where people can have access and take maximum benefit out of such facilities.

Trevain Raj Kumar
Trevain Raj Kumar a Christian who founded Neolife Mission to cater to the needs of these HIV/AIDS infected/affected people and also runs a Terry’s Kids Home for these victims in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh state. His ministry is run in conjunction with He Intends Victory (www.heintendsvictory.com) which is based in Irvine, California, and is one of the early pioneers of Christians working in the HIV/AIDS field.

Trevain is an Indian by origin and was working in the IT field, when God called him into full time ministry in 2002. He set aside his secular job and in faithfulness towards God’s call he started Neolife Mission.

Many children received help and support through Neo Life Mission and they could make this happen with their self support.

In learning more about this work, I was amazed and touched by the way God is using and working through Trevain’s Neolife Mission. Here is one of those who got blessed by the service of Neo Life Mission.

Sarita today with her Bible
Sarita, an HIV infected lady came to Trevain for counseling and she revealed that her husband had left her after finding out that she had been with HIV. She told him that she “did not want to die” and leave her young children behind. She had severe tuberculosis at the time and the lymph glands on her neck were swollen and one or two had even burst, emitting a foul smell. She was in a hopeless condition with her CD4 count at only 97. [CD4 cells are a type of white blood cell that fights infection. Another name for them is T-helper cells. CD4 cells are made in the spleen, lymph nodes, and thymus gland, which are part of the lymph or infection-fighting system. CD4 cells move throughout your body, helping to identify and destroy germs such as bacteria and viruses. Keeping your CD4 count high can reduce complications of HIV disease and extend your life.)

Trevain told her about Jesus Christ and asked her to accept Him as her own personal savior. Later he encouraged her to follow Christ and taught her how to pray and to put her trust in the Lord. She there and then made her decision to follow Jesus and within three months, she started to gain strength and her TB report showed no traces of the disease.

In fact, she began to put on weight and when she went to the doctor for her CD4 again, and the doctor asked her whether she was taking any special medicine as her health was improving. She said that her only “special medicine was Jesus Christ”. A year after her first test, she went again to test her CD4 count and the doctors were again spellbound since her count raised to an amazing 847.

Sarita was very happy and started attending a local church near her home.

Trevan baptizes Sarita
She then came back to Neolife Mission and requested Trevain to baptize her and he was delighted to do so. Now she is a true believer, her son is studying and is being well supported by Neolife. She recently got a house keeping job in one of India’s prestigious IT centers, Infosys, and is earning a handsome salary.

Sarita’s is just one of many lives that have been transformed and blessed by this caring ministry. You too can join to bring in change.

For more details on Neo Life Mission’s work please visit: www.neolifemission.org

Or if you want to know more about this project or help Neolife Mission please send an e-mail to: trevain@gmail.com

Note: ANS founder, Dan Wooding, has written a moving book called “He Intends Victory” about people living with HIV/AIDS and how Jesus touched them. To get a free copy, go to: http://heintendsvictory.org/products-page

Online PR News – 27-September-2010 – Screening test for most common curable STD now available at home from America’s leading sexual health resource

getSTDtested.com is the first online STD clinic to provide an at-home screening option for Trichomoniasis, available for purchase on its website. With a history of innovation in the field of sexual health, getSTDtested.com continues its mission to set the standard for STD awareness and testing with the announcement of this exclusive at-home test offering for Trichomoniasis and builds on its existing at-home test offerings for Chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Consumers purchase getSTDtested.com’s at-home screening test and it is delivered to the home. Consumers follow simple instructions to provide a sample (urine sample is preferred for men; vaginal swab is preferred for women) that is then mailed to a lab for processing. Results are delivered securely to consumers, and those with positive results can get doctor-ordered antibiotic prescriptions at the same website.
This offering significantly expands STD testing options. The home screening kit already offered at getSTDtested.com offers the only confidential, at-home screening for Chlamydia and gonorrhea. Adding Trichomoniasis testing enhances the offering, and our expert-recommended testing guidelines recommend significantly increased age-appropriate testing for Trichomoniasis. Whereas Chlamydia and gonorrhea testing is recommended for those under age 30, Trichomoniasis testing is recommended up to age 45.
According to a recent study published in the April 2010 Obstetrics & Gynecology (see abstract), women overwhelmingly preferred to screen for STDs at home. Although many adults are not aware of being at risk for Trichomoniasis, it is actually the most common curable STD in the United States. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are over 7,400,000 infections of Trichomoniasis each year. Most individuals infected with Trichomonas Vaginalis, the single-celled protozoan parasite that causes Trichomoniasis, never experience symptoms and are therefore unaware of infection – making this STD a very real and prevalent health concern for any sexually active adult. Women who are pregnant and infected with Trichomoniasis may have complications with their pregnancy, including premature birth or low birth weight. Furthermore, Trichomoniasis can cause genital inflammation that increases a woman’s likelihood of contracting HIV, and can increase her chances of transmitting HIV infection to a sexual partner.
Testing for Trichomoniasis, and other sexually transmitted diseases and infections, has never been easier. Long recognized as America’s leading online sexual health and testing resource, getSTDtested.com provides the most convenient ways for sexually active adults to be tested for STDs. Their robust online offering provides the ability to purchase tests online, get tested at one of over 4,000 medical facilities across the country without having to schedule an appointment, or choose from several at-home test packages which include tests for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and now Trichomoniasis. You can even gauge your sexual health and further understand which STDs you should be tested for by using their online personalized STD test recommendation tool, or by speaking to an STD expert at no charge.
For those who test positive for Trichomoniasis infection, getSTDtested.com makes real help available to them. Included in the price of any test is a free phone consultation with an on-call physician who will help interpret test results and, in many cases, can even prescribe treatment for an additional charge – all without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home. As with Chlamydia and gonorrhea, most people with Trichomoniasis are cured with a single course of antibiotics. It is important that sex partners also be treated, since infection can recur.

About getSTDtested.com: As more consumers turn to the internet for health information, getSTDtested.com is setting the standard for online STD awareness and testing, helping to destigmatize, prevent, and control sexually transmitted infections. The online clinic makes it easy for individuals at risk for STDs to get confidential diagnostic testing as well as professional and peer-to-peer referrals in the Forum, have access to a test recommendation tool developed by academic and medical experts, and have peace of mind that the site is founded on evidence based medical advice from a renowned Medical Advisory Board. For more information about testing for Trichomoniasis, see Trichomoniasis Test . or STD Testing Options.

“Over a quarter of the people in New York City are already identified when they have advanced to AIDS. That means for the time from the time they are infected until they are identified when they have AIDS it has already been eight to 10 years most of the time. They have been often unknowingly infecting other people. By identifying it earlier it benefits not only the individual, but it benefits the whole society and helps stop the epidemic,” said Dr. Monica Sweeney of the New York City Health Department.

The law not only requires providers to routinely test patients ages 13 to 64, but to link those positively identified to care if they accept it. Organizations like GMHC have already been working to handle an increase in new cases.

“We really want to identify those unaware of their status and get them linked to care and to do that you want to streamline the process as much as possible,” said GMHC HIV Prevention Director Lynnette Ford

The concept of more streamlined testing is not new to the city. The health department along with the public hospital system have also already been engaged in pilot programs to do more routine testing, particularly in high-risk areas. The “Project Brief” program at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx helps doctors reach out to a larger number of patients. They use a computer-based model to educate about testing, assist with counseling and link them to care if needed.

By routinely testing most of the patients who come into the hospital at Jacobi Medical Center, over the past five years, they’ve already identified more than 200 patients with HIV who otherwise wouldn’t have known their status.

“We’ve had a tremendous amount of success at linking patients into long term care for their disease. Our linkage rates are in the low to mid 90s which is excellent when you look at the national data,” said Dr. Ethan Cowan of Jacobi Medical Center.

Health officials say they expect infection rates to remain the same at about 1.3 percent of the general population. The main difference is more of those New Yorkers will know their status and get the care they need.

Just a few years ago, Duran wandered the streets outside Gay City a skeletal form of his current self. Homeless, sick and estranged from his family, he would look away from passers-by, including some of his current colleagues — all the while completely loaded on crystal meth.

“In my brief moments of clarity I knew my life was supposed to be better than this,” Duran said. “Growing up I had so many dreams … but I completely lost myself.”

Meth use among gay men has been a pervasive problem for decades, particularly in the western United States. Here in King County, about 10 percent of gay and bisexual men used crystal meth in a given year, according to data from Public Health — Seattle & King County. These rates are twice as high in men under the age of 30.

And gay men who use meth are among the highest risk for contracting HIV, according to local studies, perhaps because of the drug’s libido-boosting effect or the lack of inhibitions and invincibility people feel when using.

Local organizations have been reaching out to meth users in the gay community, hoping to pave their path to recovery by offering counseling, support groups and other resources.

“While meth affects everyone because its so highly addictive, it’s a particular problem for those in the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning) community,” said Arnold Martin, who works for project NEON, a program for gay and bisexual men struggling with meth use.

“The shame of being gay and an outcast, the low self-esteem … the drug allows you to not feel, to not care; it knocks down the barrier around self-esteem.”

Party drugs

By the time Duran was 5, he knew he was different from other boys in his hometown of Puyallup.

In high school, he threw himself into religion and saw a therapist who specialized in reversing homosexuality. He had strained relationships at home.

His senior year he came out about his homosexuality. After graduation he moved in with an older man in Seattle who introduced him to the standard party drugs — ecstasy, ketamine and GHB — and then methamphetamine, or crystal meth.

“From the first time I took meth I was hooked,” Duran said. “It was about escaping from who I was, and meth was the perfect drug to wash it all away.”

Like many stimulants, meth increases the release of dopamine, a brain chemical associated with pleasure and euphoria. But where stimulants like cocaine pass through the body within an hour or two, meth persists, causing a slow and steady rush that can last 12 hours or more.

But the euphoria offered by meth is deceptive — the toxicity of the drug damages and changes brain chemistry, sometimes permanently.

In the short term, all that dopamine causes heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature to soar. In the long term, high levels of dopamine destroy parts of the brain, sending users into bouts of violence, dementia, psychosis and paranoia while damaging memory and emotional capacity.

The drug eliminates the need to sleep, exacerbating mental dysfunction, and suppresses appetite, leading to rapid weight loss. Disinterest in self-care can lead to a host of physical problems, including dental damage.

“Even in patients who have been clean for years and years, we see neurological damage and permanent changes to the brain,” said Chet Robachinski, psychiatric director at Bailey Boushay House, a Seattle facility dedicated to caring for people living with AIDS. “It’s one of the horrible side effects of crystal.”

On Duran’s 21st birthday, after a night of drinking, he sought out crystal meth. He also picked up a stranger. That night, they had sex without a condom.

A few weeks later Duran fell horribly ill with classic signs of a primary HIV infection. His entire body ached, and he came down with a staph infection.

“Every time I test a meth user I feel afraid for them in the pit of my stomach,” said Joshua O’Neal, who conducts HIV-testing research at the STD Clinic/ Public Health-Seattle & King County at Harborview.

Three-quarters of all the men who test positive for HIV at the STD clinic have used meth, he said, adding, “When you feel invincible, you don’t care about using a condom.”

After Duran tested positive, he began using meth more frequently. By the time he was 23, Duran was using 20 times every day. He migrated between odd jobs, apartments and partners until he ended up on the street. In addition to unsafe sex, he wasn’t caring for himself and had frequent outbreaks of staph and MRSA.

He also had acquired syphilis, but because he didn’t seek out medical care the infection spread to his brain, causing unbearable bouts of disorientation.

When he finally went to the doctor, he was seen by a petite older woman who resembled his grandmother. She asked if he was using meth.

“She told me if I kept using I would die within six months either from an overdose or the HIV,” he said. “Up until that point I was afraid of living, but suddenly I was afraid of dying.”

The reasons that gay men use meth are diverse.

Some say the drug empowered them or allowed them to temporarily ignore the stigma of being gay. One former meth addict said he began using in the 1980s, as a means to cope with watching his friends passing away from AIDS.

But others said they never touched crystal meth until they contracted HIV. The drug helped stifle feelings of hopelessness, boosted their energy and allowed them to have sex without thinking about the virus.

“Gay men use meth for the same reasons that we use any other drug; it kills the pain,” said Tony Radovich, one of the founders of Strength Over Speed, a peer-based meth-addiction-recovery support group.

When Duran left the doctor’s office he went immediately with a friend to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Through the help of local organizations, like Seattle Counseling Services, Duran began his path to recovery.

“Quitting the drugs wasn’t the hard part,” Duran said. “Feeling my emotions was the hard part.”

Along the way he reconnected with family and made new friends, some who had also gone through recovery. He got on antiretroviral drugs, and within weeks his viral load was undetectable. He now works for Gay City Health Project, a community-based HIV-prevention program.

Duran has been sober for 2 ½ years

“Being gay and growing up feeling different, drugs were a good fit for me,” Duran said. “But I believe in people’s ability to change.”

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Tech. Sgt. David Gutierrez of McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., regularly attended “swinger” parties, where he had many of his encounters, and later bragged to his wife that he did not inform his sex partners of his condition, according to a federal search warrant filed by Air Force prosecutors for his home in Wichita. The warrant does not state how many people Gutierrez allegedly infected.

Gutierrez, in charge of documentation for the 22nd Maintenance Operations Squadron, has been confined on base since being arrested Aug. 9 but has not been charged, according to Linda Card, a spokeswoman for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. He is expected to have an Article 32 hearing, the military equivalent of a grand jury proceeding, later this month, Card said, and must be tried within 120 days from the time of his arrest as stipulated by the Uniform Military Code of Justice.

An Air Force lawyer is representing Gutierrez. Capt. Aaron Maness, defense counsel for Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., about 250 miles from McConnell, declined comment.

McConnell’s units fall under Air Mobility Command, which referred questions about the investigation back to Card, including how the investigation started and how investigators discovered Gutierrez’s alleged HIV-positive status.

AMC, however, did issue a response when Air Force Times asked if an Air Force hospital would disclose a patient’s medical information to law enforcement officials without a search warrant.

“Patient medical information is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Privacy Act. Both statutes allow medical providers to disclose certain protected information to law enforcement personnel conducting criminal investigations,” Capt. James Bressendorff, AMC public affairs officer, wrote in an e-mail.

“Air Force medical treatment facilities routinely comply with all proper orders, including court issued search warrants, subpoenas, and search authorizations approved by a properly appointed Military Magistrate,” he wrote.

Two “neutral and detached” officers determined Gutierrez could be confined before trial based on Air Force Instruction 51-201, Administration of Military Justice, Card wrote in an e-mail.

Card declined to release much additional information because of concerns for Gutierrez’s privacy and the ongoing investigation.

She told Air Force Times that the “health of the base and local populations, the safety of the witness and possible victims are of constant Air Force and AFOSI concern.”

“The Air Force cooperates fully with civilian law enforcement, local health officials and prosecuting authorities who exercise jurisdiction in all cases involving airmen charged with criminal offenses that could potentially affect public health and safety,” Card said.

FROM ITALY TO KANSAS
OSI began investigating Gutierrez on July 22 after receiving a tip that he “had engaged in numerous, unprotected sexual acts with a multitude of sexual partners over the course of three years,” according to the warrant, parts of it posted online Aug. 26 by thesmokinggun.com. As of Sept. 2, the document had not been entered in a database of federal court filings.

Gutierrez’s wife, Gina Gutierrez, told investigators her husband became infected with HIV in 2007 while stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy, according to the warrant.

Gutierrez, who enlisted in December 1990, contacted his sexual partners in Italy to tell them about his medical condition and was honest about his health during the rest of his assignment in Italy, Gina Gutierrez told investigators.

After transferring to McConnell in December 2008, however, Gutierrez began having unprotected sex with “numerous” partners, according to the warrant. He used contacts on adult social networking sites such as adultfriendfinder.com and clubforeplay.com to arrange encounters with men and women.

Gutierrez, according to the warrant, bragged to his wife “about his numerous sexual exploits in the Wichita area and commented he never informed other parties of being HIV positive” and told her that he always photographed or filmed his encounters.

OSI investigators interviewed two women, both 44, who met Gutierrez online and later in person, according to the warrant.

One met Gutierrez in June or July at a party in nearby Goddard, Kan. He did not tell her about his HIV-positive status and she performed oral sex on him many times over the next two or three months, court documents show.

The other met him on Thanksgiving 2009 at his house, where she performed oral sex on him and they had unprotected intercourse. “At no time did [Gutierrez] disclose his HIV positive status” to her, the documents state.

On his adultfriendfinder.com profiles — one for himself, one for him and his wife — Gutierrez states condoms will be worn “at all times.”

IN THE SHADOWS
An undercover investigator tried to make contact with Gutierrez online, but the airman didn’t take the bait.

Investigators, however, observed Gutierrez logged into “numerous adult websites,” the last time just a day before he was arrested.

“This undercover operation also disclosed [Gutierrez] posted a lengthy pattern of activity at local swinger events,” the warrant reads. “According to one profile, [Gutierrez] attended 21 Wichita area swinger events from 17 Jan 09 to 10 Jul 10.”

When agents arrested Gutierrez, they collected a camcorder, an empty camera case, three laptops, one cell phone and a “small amount of digital media.” Gina Gutierrez told investigators her husband kept personal property in other rooms of the house but was unable to grant consent to search the areas. The warrant does not explain why she could not give permission.

The next day, Aug. 10, Gina Gutierrez told investigators her husband also had several CDs and at least one USB thumb drive. At some point, she told investigators, Gutierrez also owned an external hard drive that he claimed to have sold to a local Best Buy electronics store. But, according to the warrant, Best Buy doesn’t purchase external hard drives from customers.

Investigators returned to the Gutierrez home Aug. 16, according to documents, and confiscated additional evidence, including 37 pornographic VHS tapes or DVDs. The movies had titles such as “Playboy’s Secret Seductions,” “The World’s Sexiest She-Males,” “Bi-Sex Mania 6,” “Chocolate XXXtasy” and “Fill ’er Up.”

Other items seized: 105 condoms, a variety of sex toys, blood-test reports, floppy disks, CDs, a digital camera, cell phone statements and two manila envelopes containing HIV-related research.

PROFILE PRONOUNCEMENTS
Gutierrez announced in his profile on adultfriendfinder.com, which bills itself as “The World’s Largest Sex & Swinger Personals Community,” that he “is looking for friendship and sex. I can play alone it needs to be [discreet]. No I’m not hiding this from my wife. She knows and approves.”

A call to Gutierrez’s home on the morning of Aug. 30 went unanswered; in the afternoon, a call to the same number connected to a fax machine. Air Force Times then faxed a request for comment to Gina Gutierrez, who did not respond. A message posted on Facebook to David Gutierrez’s profile also went unanswered.

On his adultfriendfinder.com profile is a photo of Gutierrez wearing an open robe and nothing else. Four other users raved about the hookups. And the site said Gutierrez “experimented” with sex with other men.

“It has been several months but I think I would be more comfortable being with another guy if the wife/girlfriend played too,” said a comment posted in 2005.

The joint profile describes in graphic detail what kinds of encounters the Gutierrezes seek. In a post dated Nov. 20, 2008, a man wrote that he met them in Italy. “Beautiful couple, very nice and friendly, they put me at ease and enjoyed a very good saturday night/sunday morning of play,” he wrote.

Responses that Gutierrez gave to a detailed survey show the role that swinging played in his life. He answered sex was “all I think about” and that he was online so often that “my screen saver never gets a chance to run.”

Gutierrez stated he “regularly” had “1 on 1, 3 somes, groups, orgies, swingers clubs” and listed ownership of a swingers club as his dream job.

Neither profile mentions HIV. According to The Smoking Gun, Gutierrez posted a poll on adultfriendfinder.com in June 2007 asking other users if they were willing to “play” with people infected with HIV or herpes simplex virus.

Air Force Times could not verify the online poll, but The Smoking Gun added Gutierrez followed up by asking, “Why are people scared of the HIV virus? … The research I have done raises several questions on weather [sic] or not HIV is even related to AIDS.”

Source: air force times

The NGO, HelpAge Kenya, is training older people to talk to their peers about how HIV is spread, teach them to use condoms, seek HIV testing and treatment and live a healthy life even while HIV-positive.

“When you have an old man aged 65 openly talking about his HIV status, his peers begin to reflect and realize that they too can get infected,” said Erastus Maina, programme officer at HelpAge Kenya. “Many of them still view HIV as a disease for the young and the restless, forgetting many of them are getting into sexual relationships with young people.”

According to the 2007 Kenya AIDS Indicator Survey, Kenyans aged between 50 and 64 years have an HIV prevalence of 5 percent; an estimated 3.4 percent are infected with syphilis, higher than any other age group.

Maina noted that older people had been relegated to the role of carers of children orphaned through HIV, with scant attention paid to the fact that many continued to lead active sexual lives. Older men often engage in relationships with much younger women while continuing to have sex with their older wives.

“Odd one out”

When Douglas Nasirembe, 66, first fell ill four years ago, the idea that he could be HIV-positive did not cross his mind, even though he had inherited two widows several years earlier.

“I used to be sick and then it would disappear and come back again… I just thought it was one of those diseases that come with being old and poor,” he told IRIN/PlusNews at his home in the western Kenyan town of Kakamega.

Nasirembe was eventually diagnosed with HIV and convinced to start taking antiretroviral drugs. “I just thought how shameful it would be for me to line up with young people for ARVs… I just knew I was going to be the odd one out,” he said.

“I decided to discuss that with the doctor, and he said I could get the medicine from him, I would not line up at the counter,” he added.

I can’t go where they are teaching young people how to use condoms… they will look at me and say ‘the old man is still doing this thing’Nasirembe knows what a condom is, but has never used one. “I can’t go where they are teaching young people how to use condoms… they will look at me and say the old man is still doing this thing,” he said.

HelpAge Kenya has so far trained 313 peer educators in Kenya’s Central Province targeting older people. Together with the National AIDS and Sexually transmitted infections Control Programme, NASCOP, they are also developing a home-based care manual focusing on the care of HIV-infected older persons.

Nasiremebe says he would be comfortable talking to his peers about HIV.

According to Nyanza Provincial AIDS and sexually transmitted infections coordinator Charles Okal, older people’s low HIV risk perception meant they missed out not only on HIV prevention messages, but also on treatment.

“HIV programmes should be friendly to them so that they don’t miss out; when they believe they are not at risk, it means many of them miss out on treatment and care as a result of late diagnosis,” he said.

Source: plusnews.org

The transformation in outlook towards sex-related issues has occurred partly because the university has taken the lead in setting up a unique health center, which not only creates awareness about sex-related health problems like HIV/AIDS but also educates students on personal hygiene.

“Students used to shy away from any workshop that was related to physical awareness or sex education for that matter,” Abid Hussain, counsellor at the Youth Friendly Health Care (YFHC) center in Jamia Millia Islamia, told reporters.

“But the situation has changed to a great degree. Today students come and ask for condoms without any hesitation. They want to know about their safety and are ready to take precautions. Self-awareness is on the rise,” added Hussain.
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What started with small Red Ribbon clubs and weekly National Service Scheme (NSS) workshops is now a path-breaking health-awareness hub in the university, he said.

The center’s main aim is to promote youth health on the campus and create awareness about prevention of HIV/AIDS. In 2009-10, there were 7,290 people living with AIDS in the national capital; the disease affects 2.5 million people in India.

The center has already reached out to nearly 14,000 young people studying in the sprawling campus of Jamia in the Okhla area of south Delhi.

“From holding private counselling sessions on HIV/AIDS to giving condoms to students, this centre is creating awareness in every possible way,” said Hussain, adding that on an average 10-15 students visit it daily.

The center was inaugurated by Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia Aug 12, celebrated as the International Youth Day. It was opened in collaboration with the Delhi State AIDS Control Society (DSACS), under the Delhi government.

Doctors and youth consultants are available round-the-clock for personal counselling session with any of its 16,000 students.

“We ensure that every student’s privacy is respected. Confidentiality is a prime issue,” added Hussain.

Seeing the popularity of the center, the authorities are now planning to reach out to more and more students. One way is by roping in the university’s Red Ribbon clubs.

The centre also shares a link with a toll-free helpline that provides guidance on teenage problems, puberty and other matters of reproductive health.

Emphasising the importance of opening such a center in the university, Faizi O. Hashmi, project director of the DSACS, said: “The aim was to provide clinical services to students on campus and simultaneously disseminate information pertaining to health and youth awareness programmes. It’s happening now.”

The Delhi unit is already running 94 integrated counselling test centers, nine anti-retroviral treatment centers and five drop-in centers for those seeking medical help on HIV/AIDS in the city. This is their first initiative with a university, he said.

According to the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) report for 2008-09, over 35 percent of all reported AIDS cases in India occur among young people in the age group of 15-24 years, making the group highly vulnerable.

Unprotected sex is suggested to be the prime reason for the disease and also the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

“Students want awareness to be presented in an interesting way. So we combine youth health seminars with vocational trainings such as public speaking and job-oriented workshops,” Tasveer Khan, who has been organising workshops for the Jamia centre, told reporters.

Coming in soon at the YFHC is an audio-visual room that would screen documentaries and create awareness through various other multimedia tools. The counsellor’s room also provides literature on youth health and AIDS awareness.

Students also have a word of praise for the center.

Anjali Arora, a law student in Jamia, told reporters, “We had an hour-long session on public speaking in the center last week and there was a short skit on HIV prevention also.”

“It actually made me feel responsible towards my safety and health,” she added.

Source: ndtv.com

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2. HIV/AIDS remains the greatest health and development challenge that Botswana has faced over the past two and a half decades, and indeed will continue to face for several years to come. You will be aware of the extent to which HIV/AIDS impacted negatively on many of our health and socio-development indicators, undoing many of the hard earned gains achieved over a number of years in health outcomes, life expectancy, economic growth and our ability to address many development needs which have had to be put on hold as we dedicated resources to fighting this epidemic.

3. When the partnership with ACHAP was established in the year 2000, our epidemic was at its peak, mortality among young people was extremely high, with adult mortality having risen almost fourfold. Child health indicators on which we had made tremendous progress since independence were deteriorating as a result of the impact of mother to child transmission, and most significantly the impact of HIV/AIDS on parents’ ability to look after their children as their own health deteriorated and many died. The burden on our health services was such that our medical and paediatric wards were not coping, with about 60% of bed occupancy being HIV/AIDS related. Without a public sector treatment programme, it was estimated that less than 5% of the people needing treatment were receiving it. Tuberculosis, a disease which until the mid eighties was declining in incidence, experienced a strong resurgence and became the leading cause of death among patients dying of AIDS and remains so today.

4. Botswana had no option but to mount a strong and concerted response to this epidemic. Given the magnitude of our epidemic, the scale of the response certainly required much more in terms of skilled human resources, infrastructure, and financial resources than a developing economy such as ours could alone provide. We recognised that the resources required meant that difficult development choices would need to be made, and that the formation of strategic partnerships would be critical. As we look back over the past ten years, I firmly believe we should take pride in what our partnership achieved over a very important decade in our response. In many respects, the past decade and key developments in this period shaped the future of HIV/AIDS responses in the developing world, and sub-Saharan Africa in particular. As many of you will know, a number of the notable achievements or lessons of what could be achieved in sub-Saharan African setting took place in Botswana, and ACHAP played an important role in the process.

5. Dr. Rosenblatt, I therefore take this opportunity to thank you and MSD, and similarly through you Ambassador Lange, my profound thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the generous support you have provided over the past years. As has been mentioned, between the years 2001 to 2009, the partnership donated an amount of US$ 106.5 million to fund various programmes and interventions. In addition, MSD has donated ARV medicines with a value in excess of US$ 66 million by December 2009. This gesture has literally helped save many lives. This has been a huge contribution which has made a tremendous difference to our fight against this disease.

6. If one is to look back briefly over the past ten years; and the many areas of support, there have been a few defining moments or achievements that have been important landmarks in Botswana’s response and in some ways the global response as well.

7. As we speak today, over 90% of those in need of treatment are now receiving it. ACHAP’s contribution to this achievement which significantly changed the face of the epidemic in Botswana has been immeasurable. Together we have succeeded in providing treatment on a truly national scale; have given hope to tens of thousands of patients, and to their families and dependants. This achievement, with the assistance of ACHAP and later other partners such as PEPFAR, has changed HIV/AIDS from an almost certain death sentence to a disease in which people can still live with hope, continue to work, see their children grow and contribute to the growth and success of this country. Perhaps what is most significant is that together we have been able to demonstrate to Africa and to the world that indeed it is possible to deliver an effective treatment programme on a national scale in a developing country setting in sub-Saharan Africa. In some way it may well be this success which inspired other initiatives through multilateral organisations such as WHO and UNAIDS, the PEPFAR programme, the Global Fund to provide the kind of resources that have also transformed the responses of other countries in our region and beyond. If indeed this is the case, then one of the most important objectives of this partnership, i.e., providing lessons from which the national and global response could benefit has been realised.

8. The introduction of the routine testing and counselling at health facilities is another area in which Botswana proved to be a pioneer. The full support of ACHAP in discussions and advocacy efforts at national level, as well as later financial support for implementation of the programme through the provision of rapid test kits to Government and civil society organisations is greatly appreciated. I am informed that ACHAP at one point met up to 40% of national rapid test kit requirements. This helped ensure the success of our routine HIV testing effort, significantly improving uptake of both treatment and PMTCT services, and going a long way in helping Botswana achieve its universal access targets. This support combined with ACHAP’s support for the training of lay counsellors through your partnership with a local NGO, BOCAIP, helped improve uptake of PMTCT services from rates around 34% in 2003 to 94% by 2010, leading to the impressive success of PMTCT with transmission rates of less than 4%.

9. I am informed that a core part of ACHAP’s work in your second phase will focus on prevention interventions targeting young people aged 15 – 29. ACHAP’s support for youth focussed initiatives targeting both in and out of school youth in your first phase played an important role in helping us kick start prevention programmes working with young people. I am pleased to learn that in ACHAP’s first phase you worked with and supported in different ways several civil society organisations, from national network organisations, district multi-sectoral AIDS committees and community based organisations involving people living with HIV/AIDS. While there is still a long way to go in building the capacity of such organisations, and indeed achieving greater success in our prevention efforts, it is important for it to be recognised that the growth and sustainability of our civil society movement will be key to long term success against this epidemic.

10. Three years ago, ACHAP provided important support to NACA for the development of the National Plan for scaling up HIV prevention. I am informed that this is the main thrust of the support that ACHAP intends to provide in its second phase. Prevention is also the top priority of our Second National Strategic Framework for the period 2010 – 2016, so I am pleased to note that ACHAP continues to align itself to our national priorities.

11. I would like first and foremost to thank both MSD and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for having found it fit to commit to a further five year period of support to ACHAP and Botswana’s HIV response. A financial commitment of US$ 60 million in these very difficult and uncertain economic times is something for which I personally, my government and the people of Botswana are very grateful. We know that there are many needs beyond our own borders, and would like to believe that a commitment of this scale is a vote of confidence in our partnership and what it has achieved, but one which we do not take for granted.

12. As I draw towards closing, I wish to take this opportunity to indicate to our partners in this endeavour that our commitment as a country to winning the fight against this epidemic remains firm. We will continue to commit what we can of our own resources to fighting this epidemic as this is our problem. We are grateful to the growing support that we have received from the donor community over the years. As a sign of our commitment, 70% of HIV/AIDS expenditure as shown by the latest national spending assessment has been from Botswana’s own domestic funds. We hope that this commitment on our part will encourage you as partners to continue to support us, knowing that your support builds on our own efforts and together we will make meaningful progress.

13. It is therefore my honour and pleasure to declare the second phase of ACHAP’s support to Botswana for the period 2010 – 2014 officially launched. I thank you.

B1b) 30/8/10: VOTE OF THANKS BY THE MINISTER FOR PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION HON LESEGO ETHEL MOTSUMI ON THE OCCASSION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE SECOND PHASE OF THE AFRICAN COMPREHENSIVE HIV/AIDS PARTNERSHIP

[Salutations}…Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. It is indeed a pleasure and honour for me to give the vote of thanks on this important occasion: the launching of ACHAP’s Second Phase of support to our national HIV response. First let me thank His Excellency the President for having taken time out of his very busy schedule to be with us today, and to officially launch this Second Phase. Your leadership and drive are a great source of inspiration to us all. It has been in large part of your firm conviction and support, and that of your predecessor, Former President Mogae, that have been the driving force behind the success of this unique partnership and the progress it has helped us make.

2. Secondly, I wish also to extend my most sincere thanks on behalf of the Government and people of Botswana to our partners at MSD / The Merck Company Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their generous support. The strength of our partnership has changed the course of the epidemic in this country, and made an immense difference in the lives of Batswana.

3. When we contemplated launching a national ARV treatment program 10 years ago, it looked to some like an unwise venture. Many thought it was an impossible undertaking, and a questionable use of resources. However, we and our partners at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and MSD believed that if we committed ourselves to this task it could be done. We started the programme against what seemed like tremendous odds in terms of human resources, finances, and infrastructure; but together we kept the faith. Government was convinced that our best hope for saving a whole generation of young people from an almost certain death was the success of the ARV programme. Failure was not an option; it was not part of our vocabulary.

4. Now, 10 years on, as we launch a second phase of support, it gives me great pleasure to reflect on the successes of our public-private partnership, and to be able to thank you Mr Clark for your extraordinary leadership and vision. Similarly, thanks must go to all the people at MSD who have been involved with and supported this initiative over the years. MSD has an outstanding reputation for corporate social responsibility, and the excellent work that the Merck Company Foundation has done over the past 50 years is something that we in Botswana have been able to experience firsthand.

5. Similarly, Ambassador Lange, let me take the opportunity, on behalf of the people of Botswana, to thank you and your colleagues from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We ask that you convey our deepest gratitude and appreciation to the leadership at the Gates Foundation for believing in us, walking the initial difficult steps with us, and helping us write the story of a brighter future for the people of this country.

6. Ladies and gentlemen, through this distinctive partnership, as well as other collaborations, nearly 150,000 people have been put on treatment in Botswana. Equally important, however, and perhaps less often discussed, is that together we started an initiative that has demonstrated to the world that nationwide ARV treatment programmes were possible in the countries of sub- Saharan Africa. This pivotal and momentous achievement created the possibility for many more people across the continent could benefit from treatment. We, as a country, are both pleased and proud that through the efforts of PEPFAR, The Global Fund to fight HIV, TB and malaria, the Clinton Foundation and others, ARV treatment for the people of Africa is now a reality. As we speak, the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS report that more than 5 million people are on treatment in low and middle income developing countries indicating, ladies and gentlemen, that the seeds this partnership has sown, have spread far beyond the borders of Botswana. Of course, as we celebrate this singular achievement, we also look forward with renewed energy to the challenges that lie ahead, and the Second Phase of ACHAP support. Thus, the presence here today of Mr. Clark and Ambassador Lange to take part in this launch of Phase II is all the more significant, and demonstrates that our partnership remains strong and determined.

7. Your commitment as partners to a Second Phase of support conveys your awareness that much work still remains to be done. We know that the needs out there are greater than the resources available. Hence, we are especially appreciative of this support during these difficult times of global economic recession. The Phase II package of sixty million dollars (close to four hundred million pula) over the next five years is a tremendous contribution, resulting in a total of US$ 165 million since ACHAP began work in 2000. Adding to this, the generous donation of ARV medicines from MSD which in ACHAP’s first phase amounted to almost US$67 million, one recognises the full extent and impact of this support on our national response.

8. Having said that, let me also assure you, on behalf of Government, that the HIV and AIDS epidemic remains a very high health and developmental priority and we will continue to invest a significant amount of our own resources in this fight.

9. While ACHAP’s best known contribution to our national response has been its support to the treatment programme, what is far less known is ACHAP’s long-term support to strengthening our Botswana’s capacity to more effectively respond to HIV and AIDS. This has included substantial assistance to the health sector in the form of staff and technical expertise to enhance the delivery of HIV services, which has had numerous secondary benefits to other areas of service provision. Equally important has been the support to the coordination of the national response through provision of key technical assistance to the National AIDS Coordinating Agency, which falls under my Ministry. In addition, ACHAP has, over the years, reached out to and worked with so many stakeholders, from the Media and Civil Society, to district level organizations and communities, helping to optimise their contributions to and impact on the national response.

10. ACHAP’s approach, combining international best practice, local level knowledge, and private sector know-how, has enabled us to move faster and reach farther. For this I would like to acknowledge and thank both past and present members of the Board of ACHAP. The Board’s support and collaboration over the years, as well as their technical support and guidance, has been of enormous assistance to us, especially as we addressed some difficult and often controversial areas such as the introduction of routine HIV testing in health facilities. You stood firm with us, and supported us to pioneer this strategy, which is now widely used internationally and has improved access to PMTCT and treatment for so many.

11. It is proper here that I should mention the important governance structure of ACHAP: the Madikwe Forum. The Forum has played a critical role in making this public-private partnership a success. It provides a platform for frank and honest discussion and has allowed for the development of a high level of trust and transparency, not generally found in such partnerships. I would therefore like to thank all the Permanent Secretaries of the Madikwe Forum Ministries for their contribution to making this partnership work over the years. I trust that as we move forward into this Second Phase, the Forum will play no less a critical role than in the 1st phase.

12. Your Excellency the President, Mr Clark, Ambassador Lange and distinguished guests, we are committed to seeing to it that this second phase will be one in which even greater things will be achieved than in the 1st phase. In the same way that our special and unique partnership showed the world what could be done in the area of treatment, I challenge all us to make this second phase one in which we demonstrate that equally great achievements can be made in the area of prevention. Together we will continue to work to turn the tide of this epidemic and bringing us closer to achieving our national vision of a generation free of HIV/AIDS by 2016.

13. Before I conclude, I would like to thank the Director of Ceremonies for effectively guiding us through the morning’s programme. I trust you will agree with me that we have witnessed a very memorable launch, and I would like to thank all who made it possible: the management and staff of ACHAP; our partner organisations; Government ministries; and civil society organisations. I would also like to thank all of you gathered here today, for having taken the time to be with us, and making this launch event the success it has been.

14. Finally my thanks also go to the staff of the GICC, for the excellent hospitality and facilities, for without your dedicated effort; such events would not be possible.

15. There is a Chinese proverb that says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. Over the last 25 years of our response to HIV and AIDS we have taken many steps and, with the continued support of partnerships like ACHAP, we will take many more; but our journey is far from over. Today we have gathered here many people from diverse organisations, which together constitute a significant and crucial part of our national response. However, the most important people are those outside this room: those living with the virus and their affected families and loved ones, our women and children and all key vulnerable populations, and all the Batswana, young and old, who are not yet infected with HIV. They, and the many others, which for lack of time I have not mentioned, must be at the centre of our response. Let us dedicate this second phase of support to serving them better so that one day the fight against this disease will truly be won. I thank you

Source: Zimbabwe Telegraph

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Source: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/cfe62360a5cc0925c67c3d893ca1ad26.htm

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Source: http://arbiteronline.com/2010/09/07/make-sure-youre-not-hiv-positive/

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The Akron AIDS Coalition of Ohio has made mobile testing a major part of its mission. The group provides free at-home HIV testing in the Akron area, which has seen dramatic increases in the number of people infected with the disease, according to the West Side Leader.

“We are the only African-American-based organization that provides HIV testing, as the kids would say, in the hood,” Steve Arlington, the group’s executive director, told the news source. “I tell our staff, you have to test people where they are. Next week, they might change their mind.”

He added that the group’s mobile screeners use the fastest HIV testing methods, which can deliver results in as little as 20 minutes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are more than 1 million individuals in the U.S. living with HIV, many of whom are unaware of their infection.

Source: http://www.privatemdlabs.com/blood-testing-news/HIV/Mobile-HIV-testing-seeks-to-reduce-rates-of-infection-$19924786.php

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In June, our state legislature passed groundbreaking legislation requiring HIV testing to be offered routinely in medical settings. The law will go into effect on Wednesday, September 1st. Previously, patients were required to sign a separate written consent form in order to get tested for HIV. Now, if you agree to a quick swab test, you will only have to give oral consent. When undergoing routine medical procedures or check-ups, you will be offered a standard HIV blood test to sign off on along with the battery of tests that most patients receive. Once you give your consent, it stays in effect for all your future blood tests.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 100,000 people in New York City alone are currently living with HIV infection, but more than 25,000 of them do not know it. After all, HIV can take ten years or more to progress to AIDS, the syndrome that destroys your immune system and leaves you vulnerable to all manner of opportunistic infections.

Most of these unknowing carriers of HIV feel and look healthy and are, in most respects. But they are missing out on treatments that could prevent them from progressing to AIDS. Plus, they are in danger of transmitting the virus to others, continuing to fuel the epidemic.

Yes, researchers have made enormous progress in treating HIV with anti-retroviral drugs that have extended the lifespan of people with HIV/AIDS by decades. HIV prevention was once driven in part by the fear of the horrible, disfiguring diseases that preceded the untimely deaths of our friends and loved ones. Now, the number of older people living with AIDS is skyrocketing as new infections rise among the young.

Today, fewer people even acknowledge having HIV/AIDS because they are experiencing relatively good health (if they have access to treatment) and do not want to complicate their employment or community lives. That has made HIV prevention much, much harder in 2010, especially among young people who are under the illusion that there is a cure for HIV that involves just taking a few pills. It in fact involves taking drugs almost daily that can have very debilitating side effects for the rest of your life.

Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) was founded 29 years ago by a brave band of gay men led by Larry Kramer who were screaming about the impending epidemic when almost no one in the community or media or government would pay attention to it. Today, there is a vast network of service organizations such as ours along with government programs to help people with HIV/AIDS and prevent new infections. Yet we are all going to have to step up our efforts to meet the new demand for AIDS services brought on by all the people who are going to find out about having HIV under the new testing protocol.

This new AIDS crisis is coming at a time when state and federal funding for AIDS is being cut in the current economic crisis. While New York has one of the best AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP) in the country to make sure that all people with HIV can afford their drugs, other states have long waiting lists to receive these lifesaving treatments. And with most HIV infections disproportionately hitting poorer people of color and others who are disenfranchised, the challenge of getting them the treatment, services, and prevention they need is even more challenging.

The country took a big step forward in this fight on July 13 when President Obama announced the nation’s first National HIV/AIDS Strategy, one that GMHC led the call for. It stresses the need for much more culturally relevant interventions targeting gay men and communities of color and the desperate need for greater cooperation between government, community- and faith-based organizations, and the private sector.

We are all going to have to pull together to meet this new challenge and GMHC will continue to advocate vociferously for the public policies and funding needed to address it. As our city confronts a spike in bias-related violence, prejudice also fuels the spread of HIV. We have to see racism and anti-gay bigotry as the public health problems that they are if we are to get new HIV infections under control. We must also understand the central role that HIV stigma, intertwined with antigay stigma, continues to play in the epidemic.

In the midst of this, GMHC is going through a big transition of our own. Our 15-year lease on West 24th Street is up and we had to move or face tens of millions more in costs. After a difficult search, we found a great new space on West 33rd Street that will save us millions which can be put right back into direct services, and allow us to consolidate on two sprawling floors rather than the 12 smaller ones we currently occupy. We will continue to provide HIV testing and prevention services at a new Wellness Center in Chelsea.

GMHC and all HIV/AIDS service providers need your help and support to meet these new challenges. Concern about AIDS in the US has receded as other crises have come to the forefront and attention has justly shifted to the AIDS pandemic in the Third World. But please remember that the crisis at home is far from over.

I am honored to be leading GMHC at this time. I have a job where I hear virtually each day from people who tell me, “Thank God for GMHC” or “GMHC saved my life.” While we look forward to the day when our services will no longer be needed, the time is now for us all to ramp up our commitment to serving those with HIV and vastly intensify our prevention efforts so that fewer and fewer will test positive.

GMHC is a not-for-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based organization committed to national leadership in the fight against AIDS. We provide prevention and care services to men, women and families that are living with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS in New York City. We advocate for scientific, evidence-based public health solutions for hundreds of thousands worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.gmhc.org.

Source: Healthnewsdigest

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A pastor has angered Christians in South Africa by preaching a sermon entitled “Jesus was HIV-positive” in an attempt to break what he regards as a conspiracy of silence by the South African church.

Xola Skosana said that HIV is stigmatised as evil and a sin in the country that has the world’s biggest caseload.

Skosana, 43, underwent a HIV test in front of his congregation last Sunday at the non-denominational Way of Life church in Khayelitsha , Cape Town. The test was also taken by 100 young people from the impoverished township.

The pastor said he chose the title for his three-part sermon to draw attention to “a very serious issue”.

“In many parts of the Bible, God put himself in the position of the destitute, the sick, the marginalised,” he said. “When we attend to those who are sick, we are attending to him. When we ignore people who are sick, we are ignoring him.”

Skosana cited a passage in the Bible where Jesus says: “I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” But he has had a hostile reaction in some quarters.

“The scathing attacks I’ve received from Christians are unbelievable,” he said. “They’re saying you can’t reconcile Jesus and Aids. They assume it means Jesus was promiscuous and had a louche lifestyle with many sexual partners.”

Skosana lost two sisters to Aids. One died last month at the age of 44. The other died in 2003 in her early 20s.

He condemned the national church for failing to tackle the issue when nearly 1,000 people are dying from Aids-related causes every day. The South African government had been accused of Aids “denialism” but has more recently been praised for its prevention and treatment programmes.

“It baffles me why in the church this is the most untalked-about subject,” Skosana said. “If I went to church and never heard the pastor talk about this, I would assume I must go home and die in silence. The message is that it’s an unpardonable sin and we must just forget about HIV/Aids.

“My responsibility as a pastor is to open a Bible and paint a picture of a God who cares for people and wants the best for them, not who judges them and is ashamed of them.”

He called on other churches to be more open about the subject. “I hope this will change the paradigm, especially in the Pentecostal background. I come from the Pentecostal background and I know this discussion is totally alien there.”

Skosana will not disclose the result of his public HIV test in case it puts pressure on the churchgoers who followed his example. They had heard him explain the virus, possible treatments and the importance of knowing their status and were given professional counselling.

Skosana’s stance was praised by South Africa’s National Aids Council. Mark Heywood, its deputy chairperson, said: “I applaud his actions. It’s very important that church leaders set an example, destigmatising HIV and encouraging testing so people know their status.

“There are many churches that have done a lot to combat HIV. The problem is that the church as a whole has not been vocal enough. It’s often been left to individual church leaders and organisations. We would like to hear a clearer message.”

The South African Council of Churches was unavailable for comment.

Source: Guardian

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