In
2008, I traveled to the small country of Swaziland. I lived outside the capital city of Mbabane. My team
and I worked within the community and local institutions to help those in need.
For the majority of my
time in Swaziland, I worked in the pediatric ward of Mbabane Government
Hospital, providing help to the nurses and other staff members. The staff was
extremely overwhelmed with the number of HIV-related illnesses and HIV-orphaned
children. Many children were neglected for days at a
time because there was only one nurse caring for up to 100 patients. The Swazi
people would say, “You do not come to this hospital to live; you come to die.”
My time spent working in the hospital opened my eyes to the dire state of
Swaziland.
“The impact of HIV has permeated every aspect of Swazi society. The extended family unit, a mainstay of Swazi culture, has been over stretched and this is compounded by rising unemployment, drought and lower national production. HIV has given rise to the number of orphans and vulnerable children, child-headed families, grandparent headed families and single parent families. The major challenge for Swaziland’s HIV and AIDS response remains that of halting the spread of HIV and reversing the impact on the society.” (UNAIDS, Swaziland Country Report, 2010, p.3)
“The impact of HIV has permeated every aspect of Swazi society. The extended family unit, a mainstay of Swazi culture, has been over stretched and this is compounded by rising unemployment, drought and lower national production. HIV has given rise to the number of orphans and vulnerable children, child-headed families, grandparent headed families and single parent families. The major challenge for Swaziland’s HIV and AIDS response remains that of halting the spread of HIV and reversing the impact on the society.” (UNAIDS, Swaziland Country Report, 2010, p.3)
The greatest impact of HIV
continues to be manifested among children. HIV has contributed to the
increasing the number of orphaned and vulnerable children, which is estimated
to be 15% of the total Swazi population.
This has overwhelmed the capacity of the extended family and communities
in caring for these orphaned children. This has resulted in the increased
number of child-headed households, poverty, infant mortality rate, and HIV
prevalence. In Swaziland alone, school enrollment has dropped 30% due to
HIV/AIDS. Without education, these children have no means to overcome poverty.
“Global success in combating HIV/AIDS must be measured by its impact on our children and young people. Are they getting the information they need to protect themselves from HIV? Are girls being empowered to take charge of their sexuality? These are the yardsticks for measuring our leaders. We cannot let another generation be devastated by AIDS.” Carol Bellamy, UNICEF Executive Director.
UNICEF has developed an educational program that can be used within a variety of mediums and promoted by almost any educational or community institution. Life Skills Based Education (LSBE) programs promote young people to take control over their lives by empowering them to make informed responsible decisions. This program changes the attitudes and perceptions of HIV, while developing skills that result in the adoption of healthy behaviors. By empowering young women to take charge, LSBE can reduce HIV prevalence among the most at risk group: women ages 15-24, which is estimated to be around 50%. This is very important in reducing mother-to-child transmission rates and decreasing the number of orphaned children.
“Global success in combating HIV/AIDS must be measured by its impact on our children and young people. Are they getting the information they need to protect themselves from HIV? Are girls being empowered to take charge of their sexuality? These are the yardsticks for measuring our leaders. We cannot let another generation be devastated by AIDS.” Carol Bellamy, UNICEF Executive Director.
UNICEF has developed an educational program that can be used within a variety of mediums and promoted by almost any educational or community institution. Life Skills Based Education (LSBE) programs promote young people to take control over their lives by empowering them to make informed responsible decisions. This program changes the attitudes and perceptions of HIV, while developing skills that result in the adoption of healthy behaviors. By empowering young women to take charge, LSBE can reduce HIV prevalence among the most at risk group: women ages 15-24, which is estimated to be around 50%. This is very important in reducing mother-to-child transmission rates and decreasing the number of orphaned children.
The most important reason Swaziland needs LSBE is because of the extremely low life expectancy. The CIA ranks Swaziland last on the world’s life expectancy list for 2011. They declared the average life expectancy, of both men and women, to be approximately 31.88 years. This means that the average Swazi lives about 40% less than the global average. The low life expectancy is due directly to Swaziland’s high HIV prevalence rate. The average person only survives with HIV for about 11 years, if not using anti-retroviral drugs (UNAIDS, 2007). This means that young people, who contract the virus in their teens, will be dead by their late twenties. This has a profound effect on the children of Swaziland because many parents die before their children reach the age of 10.
HIV is an epidemic that debilitates the health, social, economic systems of Swaziland. The country will cease to exist if nothing is done. A gender specific and empowering educational program, like Life Skills Based Education, for the youth of Swaziland is the only viable solution.
UNAIDS (2011) 'Report on the global AIDS epidemic'
UNICEF (2009) Talking Points: Life Skills http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/files/TalkingPoints.pdf
UNAIDS (2010), Swaziland Country Report, 2010
CIA
(2012), World Factbook, Country Report: Swaziland.
Very good post. I agree strongly with the action plan and effect that LSBE programs would have on reducing the serious AIDS/HIV epidemic in Swaziland and other African nations as well. Trying to eradicate this serious problem without addressing the social issues that arise due to this pandemic will continue to hold back Africans and their efforts to combat this disease. However, solutions such as LSBE programs will be a more effective way to address these issues head on.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! It seems like using "Life Skills Based Education programs" can be one of the most effective ways to reduce prevent the spread of HIV. Clearly education is one of the most effective and important measures and it is really stunning that the life expectancy in Swaziland is so low. Moreover, as you've pointed out, the group that should targeted first is young people because they tend to not only spread the disease but also once they've contracted most don't live past their twenties.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this first person perspective post. it is eye popping that the life expectancy is before 32 years of age. The LSBE sounds like a great idea, if the youth cannot commit to school, then short course life based education will be needed. This will not be a long term solution, but the perception of AIDS needs to change in Swaziland.
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