Bukavu Week 2.3

Wednesday

We have permit! After much time spent waiting for nothing to happen, we met the mayor of Bukavu and 10 minutes later, we had our permit. He invited us to take us personally to his village, Katana and do a sensibilization there. Word is getting around that there is a PVV wiling to do a live test and he is excited to show his people.

We go back to Bagira and meet a group of young mothers who are watching African-made HIV videos. They are well done with stories that captivate the women, most of which are nursing their babies as they watch in the dark.

It is my turn to do testimony. I was infected in ’92, the year I fell in love. I was fidele (monogamous). As the ABC’s of prevention are disseminated, (Abstinence, Be faithful and Condoms) I want to add to Be faithful-after testing. Because faithful without a test can be like using a mosquito net with the mosquitoes inside.

If you don’t have actual information about yourself and your partner’s HIV status, you are taking away the protection being faithful can bring.

It all starts with an HIV test. It should be voluntary, in confidence and with counseling, before and after the test. One lady looked at me with the sad eyes of someone who’s sorry about another. I made a remark on it.

Don’t be sad for me. I am fine. Of course, it is not always easy, but I am living instead of dying. You should be sad for those who don’t know they are passing the virus to their children and partners. Sad for those, that in spite of access to life-enhancing treatments, wait until it is too late, leaving children in Africa’s most vulnerable place, that of an orphan.

Time to do live test. The test counselor, gloves in place, cleaned my finger, took a lancet and pricked it. I was using a determine rapid HIV test. In a very short time the first box would turn pink from my blood passing through and if positive, develop a dark red line. Then it would go to the second one, the control and also turn pink followed by a red line to confirm the test was reliable.

They go to see the process and soon 12 mothers walked out of the center; appointment cards in hand and walked over to the VCT (voluntary counseling and testing) clinic. They were ready to take things into their hands and offer themselves the benefits of knowing.

They had asked me what to do about their men, who refuse to test. Well, you have to be responsible for yourself, lead by example. After all, you cannot pass a virus you don’t have. Hopefully, once they see you do it, they may follow. But this is about you, not him.

We also talked about PEP (post exposure prophylaxis). A gift from God in this land of sexual violence. If you take it soon after exposure, it can help stave off infection. People say come before 72 hours, I say, come as fast as you can. The less time you wait, the better. And thank God, there is PEP in the two MSF clinics.

Ps.
What’s up with the World Bank funding for HIV/AIDS?
In sharp contrast with 2003, there are signs everywhere about HIV/AIDS. Also dotting the cityscape are new offices of organizations doing the work of sensibilization of HIV/AIDS.

What you don’t see are programs being done. As we visit association after association, they all complain that after the initial funding, nothing else comes through. On manqué le moyenne (we have no resources).

It is curious that most is funneled through a national program PNLS (Programme National Lutte contre le SIDA, national program in the fight against AIDS) and PNMLS (Programme national Multisectorel Lutte contre le SIDA. From there the funding seems stalled. What is happening? I will make it a priority to find out and report back.

PVV’s are complaining of not wanting to be treated like merchandise. In the effort to keep and build “numbers”, Associations are trying to keep clients by preventing them from accessing services like MSF’s antiretroviral program, the only source of medications for those who can’t afford it. Imagine!

What is missing from this new picture is the participation of the actors who have been working since the beginning of the fight against HIV/AIDS. Seems like the government has put its own people to make sure funds are channeled the way they see fit.