Inter Press Service - November 8, 1999
Hazwell Kanjaye

"This is the best way we can help break the silence surrounding the epidemic. We know HIV/AIDS has spread at a fast rate in this country because not many people are ready to talk about it. It thrives on secrecy," says Hetherwick Chisendera who disclosed his HIV status about five years ago.

With a population of 10 million people, Malawi reported its first AIDS case in 1985 and by 1996 AIDS had become the leading cause of death among the 15-49 age group. According to the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) at least one million people are now infected.

"We want people to accept the reality of HIV/AIDS and respond with full understanding of the complexity of the epidemic and the socio-economic challenges it is posing to the nation," says Chisendera.

Three times a week, Chisendera shares experience with people living with HIV/AIDS at Lilongwe Central Hospital, the country's second largest.

Like many others who have made their HIV status known, he also presents talks to various groups, helps organise HIV/AIDS awareness and education campaigns, and provides HIV/AIDS pre-test and post-test counseling and psychological support to those infected and affected.

A Lilongwe Central Hospital official confirmed that the number of people seeking testing services has increased since Chisendera's arrival. "At least 100 people of all races and nationalities now come for testing every month, almost double the number of people we used to get in the past" she says.

Chisendera started providing the service, for the first time at the 1000-bed health facility in Lilongwe, in January 1998, when he joined the UN Volunteers (UNV) project on Support to People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA).

The project, which was launched in May 1997, and is being piloted in Zambia, is supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UNV, the UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Network of African People Living with HIV and AIDS (NAP).

Currently in its second year, and to be extended to West Africa and the Asia Pacific region, the project recruits, trains and supports people living with HIV whom it hires as UN volunteers in various host institutions.

John Onen, PLWA Coordinator in Malawi, says the initiative was mooted out at the 1994 Paris AIDS Summit and is built on the premise that people living with HIV/AIDS are potentially the most effective educators, counsellors, campaigners and care givers given opportunity and support.

According to Onen, apart from doing regular jobs offered by host institutions, the volunteers make HIV/AIDS visible through personal testimony, using sensitive training, prevention campaigns and workplace counseling to bring AIDS into the open and encourage an effective and humane response by governments and civil society.

"The whole idea is to give a human face and voice to the epidemic in the minds of people not directly touched by it," says Onen. "We want to facilitate the acceptance of the presence of HIV/AIDS in the community".

The project also aims to strengthen networks of people living with HIV/AIDS and community-based organisations and creates space for individuals infected and affected by HIV/AIDS to contribute their knowledge and experience to decision making processes to ensure effective national response to the epidemic.

"Our hope is to see a situation where Malawi does not continue to lose lives of its valuable citizens to HIV/AIDS," says Theresa Kampeni, acting chairperson of the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPHAM), when she disclosed her HIV status on Oct 29 at the launching ceremony of a new strategy to combat HIV/AIDS, presided over by President Bakili Muluzi.

The five-year strategy, unveiled by Muluzi, aims to make information and tools for prevention and support available to all citizens, increase investment in programmes for young people, promote the development and implementation of policies and legislation that will ensure the epidemic attains priority all arms of government.

"Malawi is largely in the denial phase. HIV/AIDS is still externalised. We tend to think it is somebody's responsibility yet we are all at equal risk contracting the virus," says NACP's Roy Hauya. "The more we start talking about the epidemic, the more people will accept it as a reality and refrain from behaviour that would put them at risk."

To help strengthen Malawi's response to the epidemic, UNV has also set up a 25,000-US-Dollar micro-grant facility for organisations helping people living with HIV/AIDS.

The facility will help community conversation and workplace discussions, publishing, legal assistance, development of counselling and care activities, and establishment of community- based revolving loan schemes for income generating activities.

"The aim is to strengthen the capacity of communities to discuss the epidemic and the changes they must introduce to survive, and increase effectiveness of national HIV/AIDS policy development programmes," says Onen.

In Uganda, by sharing their personal testimonies, people living with HIV/AIDS have helped bring the reality and devastating impact of AIDS to communities. "Many people have been able to understand and take the problem of AIDS as a reality and HIV infection rates are on the decline," says Onen.(END/IPS/hk/mn/99)
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