A Picture of Life with HIV in Africa

Africa. The seed of the world. One of the most beautiful and most scintillating places on earth. From the deserts of the Sahara and the rainforests of the Congo to the bright and bustling metropolis of Cape Town, life is rich everywhere. Yet amidst all this beauty and splendor, a deadly scourge threatens the people of this continent. AIDS.

Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV/AIDS than is any other region in the world. Somewhere around 22.4 million people in the region are currently living with HIV. This makes up a whopping two-thirds of the global number of HIV-infected individuals. Whereas in other areas of the world the disease affects only certain groups, here, HIV/AIDS affects everyone. This affliction picks apart whole extended families one by one. Schools are gradually emptied over time as students are orphaned. Healthcare and economic development have all taken a hard hit because of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the African peoples. Organizations simply don’t have the funds to support or expand prevention, treatment and care efforts and for this reason, it is likely that the death count will continue to rise. Life expectancy has been drastically reduced across the continent, falling to as low as 31 years in some of the worst afflicted areas. HIV/AIDS is present everywhere we look. It is an unavoidable aspect of everyday life.

The following dialogue includes excerpts from various interviews. I spoke with a group of college students who lived for six months in South Africa and Zambia, another student who lived 2 years in Nigeria, and a field biologist currently doing research in Cameroon. Their testimonies will enhance the picture of daily life in African countries afflicted with HIV/AIDS.

Take the country of Cameroon, for example. As of 2008, the population in Cameroon neared 19 million. Of that, about 600,000 are living with HIV/AIDS. More than half of that is made up of women 15 years and older. While prevalence here is much lower than other countries, HIV/AIDS remains a chief concern. When asked about general knowledge about the disease, most agreed that the “information is very available to middle and upper class citizens, but not necessarily to the lower class citizens and those that are at highest risk.” There is a large focus on prevention here, and the country is littered with billboards promoting abstinence, safer sex practices and condom use.



Public Service Announcement in Cameroon
“Sex can wait…my future comes first.”

South Africa is a key example of a country, of a government that has failed its people. Until very recently, the government took no part in the fight against AIDS. Thabo Mbeki, president from 1999 to 2008 refused to believe that HIV causes AIDS and that condoms can prevent infection. This leadership has fueled outlandish beliefs such as that condoms cause AIDS, or that white people are pushing condoms laced with AIDS to wipe out Africans. When asked about the role of the government in the fight against AIDS, one student said, “The president is not very influential considering he stated that he took a shower after having had sex with someone infected with AIDS, and therefore he would not contract the disease.” Here, she is referring to the current president, Jacob Zuma, who publicly stated that showering after sex with an HIV-positive woman would reduce his risk of being infected. A fellow student added, “NGOs are much more active. They have done a much better job fighting AIDS through their provision of important information and items such as condoms and antiretrovirals.”


Incumbent President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma

The picture of life here has changed drastically since AIDS exploded on the scene. While treatment and prevention are improving in some areas, the governments of more conservative countries, such as South Africa, need to step up and face this issue with full force so that HIV/AIDS is no longer a shadow looming over the lives of everyone.

Facts and figures were obtained from AVERT International HIV and AIDS charity, the Global Health Council, USAID, and Elizabeth Pisani’s The Wisdom of Whores.

I would like to recognize Albert Noah-Messomo, an African native of the Beti people in the rainforest of Cameroon. His traditional African-style music was featured during this Podcast. I would like to thank Kurt Kristensen, Sara Levintow, Nikki Pagano, and Rebecca McQuade for their contributions to this Podcast.

HIV/AIDS Orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa

More than twenty-five million people have died from AIDS since it was first recognized in 1981, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in history. It is undeniable however, that sub-Saharan Africa is the hardest hit and most affected area in the world. Of the global 2.9 million AIDS related deaths in 2007, 72% occurred in this area. AIDS has devastated the social and economic framework of societies in sub-Saharan Africa by mostly infecting people in the age group of 15-49, while 63% of the 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS today live in Sub-Saharan Africa. What is also startling is that, of the 2.9 million people who died from AIDS in 2007 one in seven was children. HIV/AIDS also has many indirect effects. Children of HIV positive parents compose the largest group of secondary sufferers. Africa is home to 95% of the world’s 13 million children orphaned as a result of AIDS. It is estimated that by 2010 a third of African children will be orphaned.

Caring for these orphans has become a severe humanitarian disaster. With the rapidly increasing numbers it is difficult to care and provide for all of these children. However, the potential for these children to form a large group of dysfunctional adults, which could further destabilize societies already weakened by AIDS, has increased the urgency of finding an effective solution to the crisis. The response to the problem has been unsustainable given the number of children that need aide. In Zimbabwe, fewer than 4,000 orphans out of an estimated 800,000 are accommodated in the country’s 45 registered institutions.

As an entire generation is being devastated by HIV/AIDS, major secondary effects are occurring on the children watching it all unfold. These impacts arise in a number of overlapping ways, including, economic consequences, changes in position of caregiver, education, nutrition, long term psychological effects, and even the likelihood of infection. What overarches all of these is how children psychologically process and respond to the stresses HIV/AIDS adds to their lives. It is important to focus on the psychological impact on a child who is forced to drop out of school, who must care for themselves and younger siblings, and face losing a parent or family member. These psychological effects are what lead children to destructive or with drawn behaviors that could make them more likely to become infected. If an attempt is made to better understand what these children are experiencing, it may be possible to reach them on a level that would help encourage them to protect themselves from the dangers of HIV/AIDS.

A child’s age effects not only how they respond to and understand AIDS as a disease but in what ways they are most affected. Pre-school aged children show the primary effects on growth and health in relation to losing a caregiver. School-aged children show more effects related to loss of education and therefore the development of a vulnerability to internalization and anti-social behaviors. It appears in several studies that children over the age of ten years are most vulnerable to becoming orphaned, but are a group neither specifically targeted by many current programs nor institutions that house affected children. In these cases family, community, or school based intervention is essential.

The loss of a parent or loved one generally speaking is associated with psychological conditions including anxiety, rumination, depression, social isolation, survivor’s guilt and low self esteem. Mel Freeman, former director of Mental Health and Substance abuse in the South African Department of Health, states that children after losing a parent will have difficulties with modeling, boundary setting and development of value systems necessary for moral development; as well as the support, caring and discipline needed for emotional stability. If children have problems figuring out how to set boundaries and develop moral standards then it is likely they will also be at a higher risk for HIV infection. This secondary impact of HIV/AIDS is a catastrophic one because it will cause a whole new generation to be at an even higher risk and only further the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Orphaned children have an increased incidence of internalized psychological problems, and 34% of AIDS related orphans have contemplated suicide within the year after their parent or parents’ death.

In response to preventing the majority of psychological disorders and their related effects, the main goal is to postpone the death of a parent. When extending the life of the parents, you increase his or her chance to complete school and possess the proper mechanism to establish a sound value system. Nearly one half of children who lose a parent to HIV/AIDS drop out of school. This is a secondary impact that can be reduced by attempting to supply more infected people with ARV treatment that is both successful and easily attainable. It will both extend their life span and improve the quality of life for their children.