Inter Press Service - October 30, 2001
Noel Tadegnon

"It's not often that we get involved in awareness campaigns," says Afoua Blokpo, a grocer. "But we happen to be strategically placed to quickly get a message across to our children, husbands, and other women."

"The role of the (market) women should be to increase awareness of the risks non-protected sexual relations pose, and to help combat the stigmatisation of people living with HIV/AIDS," says Togolese Minister of Health, Charles Kondi Agba.

He says women and girls, who are the most dedicated agents for change, are the ones most at risk of disease.

"Many African families are affected, but many are afraid and keep silent," says Cecile Molinier, a UN worker in Togo. "We must break the silence and begin to talk about AIDS."

"We need to break the silence and think about the need to change behaviour so we can fight this pandemic," says Nicolas Koudouvo of Rainbow, an anti-AIDS non-governmental organisation (NGO).

"Usually, women are able to say certain things that men can't talk about. For the fight to be effective, women need to talk, since they constitute the backbone of the home and are closest to the children," says Kayi de Meideros, who sells pharmaceutical products at the Adawlato Market in Lome, the capital of Togo.

She claims that Togolese authorities covered up the existence of AIDS in Togo for a long time. "And today, we're reaping the consequences," she says. After Cote d'Ivoire, Togo is the most ravaged country in West Africa. Burkina Faso ranks third, according to the latest UNAIDS statistics.

Togo has between 150,000 and 200,000 infected adults, including 66,000 women aged 15 to 49, according to the UNAIDS.

AIDS also has orphaned some 95,000 children in Togo, a country with a population of 4.5 million.

The rate of infection among sexually active adults is 5.98 percent, a large proportion of whom are pregnant women.

"We can no longer stand idly by and observe the ravages created by this disease," says Atanley Kafui, who sells traditional dress at the Adawlato market.

In spite of the various media awareness campaigns, the disease continues to spread.

"We are opposed to a classic response to HIV/AIDS that is solely medical," says the Minister of Health, Agba.

"When we saw how destructive the disease is, we quickly realised that the problem went beyond the traditional medical framework in that it has created a total economic, and social, disaster," he says.

This awareness led to the recent establishment of the National Council Against AIDS, as prescribed by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) at a special AIDS summit in Abuja, Nigeria, in April.

This awareness also led some market women in Togo to go beyond taboos and offer condoms for sale among their regular wares.

"The awareness has meant that a large number of women now know there is a test to detect HIV/AIDS, and this is very important," acknowledges Yawo Gouna from the Togo Life Work, an NGO.
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