Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) - September 21, 2005
On the march: The HIV/Aids pandemic is affecting African military troops' ability to defend their countries and operate peacekeeping missions on the continent. The Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies estimates that HIV prevalence rates among some African soldiers are as much as twice the rate among the general population, although few armed forces have reliable figures.
"HIV and other diseases represent a readiness challenge to militaries throughout the world, and security for us all demands that we pay attention to this," United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Theresa Whalen recently told a meeting of African military health officers in Cape Town. In Uganda, Aids-related diseases are the largest cause of death among troops, according to Kenneth Ochen, a military physician.
To address the issue, the South African government, in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in 2003 began a five-year initiative called Project Phidisa, or Prolong Life, to treat HIV-positive members of the South African National Defence Force. Over the past two years, the project has established five clinics, has tested more than 2 900 troops,and is providing 834 force members and their dependents with care. The later phases of the project aim to analyse the role of nutritional supplements and traditional medicines in delaying the progression of HIV infection.
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