HIV ABC this series of eight books is designed to explain the complexities of Aids to South African children. Picture: Supplied
By Tswelopele Makoe
TODAY, the 1st of December, marks the international commemoration of World Aids Day (WAD). This day, established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) 37 years ago, aims not only to raise awareness about HIV/Aids, but also to demonstrate international solidarity in light of this worldwide peril.
The theme for this year’s WAD is “Take the rights path: My health, my right!” Under this theme, the WHO is championing leaders and citizens across the globe in addressing the fundamental human right to healthcare and effectively addressing the impediments and inequalities that deter the mission to end Aids.
The National Health Service (NHS) has defined human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as a sexually transmitted virus that attacks the body's immune system, weakening one’s ability to fight off everyday diseases. When HIV has caused severe damage to one’s immune system, it progresses into a disease called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (Aids), which is the most advanced stage of this illness.
Closer to home, the mid-2024 reports from Statistics SA indicated that approximately 8 million people were living with HIV in South Africa. Of these, only an estimated 5.9 million were receiving treatment, while around 50 000 people died of this disease in the last year alone.
Although antiretroviral treatment is recommended for all people living with HIV or Aids, ultimately, one in every four people living with HIV is not receiving treatment. What is particularly hair-raising is that HIV can hide in your body for an entire decade without being detected.
Although the first cases of Aids were reported fairly recently, back in the 1980s, this disease has ravaged societies across the world. Initially, HIV/Aids was attested to sexuality, particularly being connoted to homosexuality.
Fortunately, the world soon found that this was not the case. Not only can heterosexuals succumb to the virus, but so can pregnant women, babies, and absolutely any other human of any age.
The science and medical sectors have made astonishing advances towards understanding HIV/Aids and educating society on the dangers of this disease. Although the disease is not derived from direct contact with certain bodily fluids: contaminated blood, breast milk, rectal fluids, semen and pre-seminal fluid, vaginal fluids, and more importantly, sharing intimate products and devices, or sharing needles and other drug injection equipment.
Although the spread of information around HIV/Aids has mitigated much ignorance on this topic, it has not deterred its prevalence in contemporary societies. This year, South Africa remains one of the leading nations in the prevalence of HIV/Aids, sitting at 14% of our entire society. In fact, the province with the highest HIV prevalence in the country is KwaZulu-Natal.
Our unequal society means that the vast majority of South African citizens are reliant on public health services, meaning that the quality of care received is adversely affected by overcrowding, lack of personnel and resources, access to prevention, care, and treatment, to name a few.
Socially, there are still ways to go in combating the scourge of HIV/Aids. There are still rampant misconceptions about the illness, which fosters fear, confusion, and stigmatisation. This oftentimes has detrimental impacts on afflicted individuals, leading to deterioration in mental health. This can also lead to people suffering in silence, concealing their status to discourage social persecution.
Living with HIV/Aids can also lead to heightened anxiety, depression, and even drug use, further worsening the condition. This can also be compounded by opportunistic infections—such as tuberculosis (TB), liver disease, pneumonia, and various types of cancers—prompted by one’s weakened immune system.
Though this deeply affects people’s quality of life and often their ability to work, an underlying strain to this illness is the cost of care, which is often astronomically expensive and mandatory for any additional hygiene and blood screenings required.
With this year’s WAD, WHO is highlighting a stark impediment in the fight against HIV/Aids: the need to address the inequalities that hinder progress in ending Aids. It is therefore vital that we address this in accordance with the unique challenges of our society: socioeconomic disparities and economic inequalities that perpetuate the prevalence of HIV/Aids.
Although raising awareness about the symptoms, dangers, and risks of this illness is vital, it is also important to understand the realities of those living with HIV/Aids. Over half of the entire nation—30.3 million people—live in poverty.
Over a third of the entire nation lives in rural areas, which are often far removed from modern medical facilities. In 2023, Statista reported that only 15.7% (equating to 3 in every 20 people) have access to a medical aid scheme, with black people comprising of just 9.7% of the fortunate few.
Statistics such as these shine a stark light on the impact of HIV/Aids, not only on individuals and households but on society at large and our increasingly overwhelmed medical system. These statistics prove that mitigating HIV/Aids in our society is not merely an individual challenge but also a societal one. This indicates that HIV/Aids must be tackled from a systematic, institutional, and economic level.
As we embark on this annually commemorated day, we need to place emphasis on redressing the failures of our governance and institutions in ensuring that HIV/Aids is stifled. This not only means equitable access to preventative care and treatment but also adequately spreading education about this illness from all sectors of our educational institutions, social institutions, cultural institutions, and religious institutions.
This is a day to honour those who have lost their lives as a result of this illness and to display support for those living with this illness. This is a prime opportunity to not only celebrate the leaps and bounds that have taken place in the treatment and prevention of HIV/Aids, but also to encourage and implement progressive steps towards the prevention and treatment of those living with this illness in our modern society.
What should be underscored more than anything is that you can have HIV/Aids, and simply not know it. Ignorance, unfortunately, does have consequences. Individuals must take responsibility for their health, ensuring that they are being regularly screened for any illnesses such as these.
It is also vital that individuals advocate for themselves in their access to health. The right to healthcare is enshrined in our nation’s constitution, and being informed about one’s access to these facilities and resources is essential to ensuring that they combat this disease early.
The life expectancy for a person living with HIV/Aids is as long as a person living without the illness. However, receiving the correct diagnosis at an early stage is critical to overcoming this illness and living a normal life. Proper, timely treatment can ensure that an HIV person never contracts Aids.
The WHO holds this belief: “With human rights at the centre, with communities in the lead, the world can end Aids as a public health threat by 2030.” This is an immense opportunity to work towards a safer, more responsible society. Every person holds their own lives in their hands, and it is critical that our society takes the bull by the horn in finally effectively tackling HIV and Aids.
* Tswelopele Makoe is a gender & social justice activist and editor at Global South Media Network. She is a researcher and columnist, published weekly in the Sunday Independent, Independent Online (IOL), Global South Media Network (GSMN.co.za), Sunday Tribune, and Eswatini Daily News. She is also an Andrew W Mellon scholar, pursuing an MA in Ethics at the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, UWC. The views expressed are her own.