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 African countries and their people are engaged daily in the life and death struggles of this unfolding disaster. APA is striving to touch the lives of over 500,000 people.
Communities are at the front lines of coping with the impact of HIV/AIDS, responding directly to the needs of people, mobilizing themselves, showing great resilience and solidarity, despite their vulnerability to external shocks such as the premature deaths of their loved ones and income lifeline.
Below are some examples on local African initiatives already well underway and showing positive results:
Bono was astounded at the efforts African people themselves were making to help with this dreadful disease. On a night
when tribute was being paid to Bono he said -"I was in Uganda a couple of weeks ago and met a load of AIDS workers. They are really the heroes, ..like the NYPD firemen of their situation. They`re going from town to town, …. telling people about what`s going on with AIDS.. I`m asking a friend, where do they get their passion from? And they said, actually, they`re HIV positive, and I said, `what - these people are HIV positive?` Yes, he said, and they know that they cannot afford the dollar a day that it would take to save their life. They know that they cannot afford to live. And I want to say to them, and I want to say this evening, that we cannot afford to let them die."
Country Task Forces
Almost every country in Africa has set up a `National AIDS Commission` with branches throughout the country. All government departments, institutions (secular and religious) both public and private are being represented on these committees who meet regularly and implement action plans which aim to address the key issues of prevention, care, protection of orphans etc.
In Botswana, the prime minister himself, Festus Mogae, presides over every meeting of the newly established National AIDS Council and expects all other members to be in attendance without fail. Every minister starts every speech with a message about AIDS. A National AIDS Co-ordinating Agency mobilises activities on all fronts. A radio drama spreads information about the affliction and posters abound. The aim is an AIDS-free generation by 2016.
Community Family Support
In Botswana the government encourages communities/extended families to provide care for orphans and not to resort to institutional care.
Zimbabwe developed a National Policy on the Care and Protection of Orphans in 1995 which the Cabinet approved in May 1999.The policy reaffirmed the position that orphans should be placed in institutions only as a last resort. Now over 30 locations across the country are implementing different models of Community based Orphan Care programmes caring for 100`s of children.
Prevention: Education
Uganda: Children has been at the forefront of initiatives to protect children from AIDS through improved basic social services. A major success has been increased enrollment in primary schools.
Young people:
Young people have been the prime target of the country`s AIDS programmes. The use of radio, which reaches all parts of the country, has played a key role in educating people about how HIV/AIDS is spread and prevented. A public declaration by popular musician Philly Lutaaya that he was HIV positive provided an important opportunity to promote public discussion about AIDS and new prevention and care programmes made available by the government.
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