Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The Miami Herald, Inc.; Sunday, September 22, 1996
Leslie Casimir; Herald Staff Writer
The inquiry was prompted by a hospice nurse who earlier this month visited the patient and was alarmed to find him lying in his own feces with oozing sores all over his body. At the time, he was living at a North Dade motel. His whereabouts are now unknown.
The man's caretaker is Francelot Moise, who is known in the Haitian community for going on Creole-language radio programs and decrying the existence of AIDS. He also says people should not believe doctors when they are told they are HIV-positive. HRS spokeswoman Beverly Counts-Rodrigues confirmed HRS is investigating the complaint against Moise, but could not give details.
According to records from the state Agency for Health Care Administration, Moise works at Rainbow Pediatrics in North Miami Beach and lives in Lauderdale Lakes. He denied any wrongdoing.
"I don't understand why this is happening," said Moise, 37. "All I was trying to do is help out a brother who doesn't have family here."
Moise and his associates -- Henri-Claude Saint-Fleur, who says he's a psychologist, and radio commentator Claude Aubry -- have taken to the airwaves over the last two years claiming there is not enough proof that the virus that causes AIDS really exists. Moise said the alleged victim, who was a popular Creole-language host on WLQY (1320-AM), suffers from heart problems and not AIDS.
He argues there is not enough scientific proof that people can contract AIDS and claims common medications to treat the condition, such as AZT, only kill people.
Apparently, he has an audience. In recent months, social workers and case managers with HIV-positive Haitian clients have complained to state officials that their clients are refusing to take medication because of information they're receiving from a radio program.
"This is ignorance. They are doing harm to the Haitian community," said George Metellus, coordinator for the HRS Department of AIDS Surveillance. "They're putting poison in the minds of their listeners."
The trio frequently talked on a popular program called Radyo Pep-la on WLQY. Station manager Sandra Herzberg said they have a right to express their opinions.
Two weeks ago, Metellus went on Creole-language radio to dispel the trio's message. For years, health educators have been working to get Haitians to understand the syndrome that destroys the body's immune system, encouraging preventive measures. It is a difficult task in the Haitian community, which has a deep-rooted denial of AIDS.
Now, some educators fear the damage has been done. According to HRS' AIDS surveillance department, there are 1,942 reported AIDS cases among Haitians in Dade County alone. That accounts for more than 10 percent of the 17,820 reported cases in Dade.
"People who heavily rely on the radio for their information have a low level of education and are vulnerable to believing what they hear," said Constantin Chery, an AIDS counselor at the Center for Haitian Studies. "The miseducation that they're spreading has made our jobs more difficult."
Published by: The Miami Herald, Inc.; a Knight Ridder publication. One Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132-1693
Copyright (c) 1997 Miami Herald. All rights reserved. Reprint Permission: The contents of each issue of The Miami Herald are protected under the federal copyright act. Reproduction of any portion of any issue will not be permitted without the express permission of The Miami Herald. Reprints: 305-376-3719 Staff photos: 305-376-3756. Internal or personal use: Copyright Clearance Center, 508-750-4283, ext. 888; fax 508-750-4744. The Miami Herald or Knight Ridder shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
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