Challenging Myths

After writing the previous post "AIDS Myths and Taboos" and after the comments I got, I thought we need to discuss it from a different point of view.

Just to clear out, Africa is a large continent -of course - AIDS is not our only problem; but one of them.

But in Africa, there are some important issues to take care of !!!

First issue.The lack of communications in poor areas leads eventually to tribalism. In a tribe, one should follow the leader's opinion and rules whatever those rules are. The leader of the tribe -naturally- conveys everything he learnt from the ones before him to his followers. So, with lack of media, communications and proper health education, he conveys the wrong message "logically". In his opinion he is doing his tribe a favor and he is protecting them, simply because he believes himself in the message he is delivering. The leader is the wisest and most respected member of the tribe, that is why, fighting this leader's opinion needs careful and creative plans. Naturally, tribalism is not a very widely spread cultural structure now but it is still an issue. If you managed to correct the leader's thoughts, you have succeeded to correct the believe of the whole tribe. Thus, tribalism could be seen here both as a good and also as a bad sign !!!

Second issue,

"I know that all AIDS patients die. what else could I do, I have knocked on every possible door, why not try this one as a last resort...."

WRONG

AIDS is NOT a death sentence.

This is a concept I hope everybody knows. If AIDS patients know that treatment is possible and prevention is possible, everything will change. In my opinion, people don't reach out for other people's judgments and experience except when they feel that there is no other option. The combination between fear, pessimism and losing hope leads to frustration and desperate acts. That is why health education and proper preventive and curative awareness is a crucial issue.

There are a lot of African and international communities who are trying to help those people to "rethink" AIDS and to encourage everyone to have the knowledge about AIDS to prevent it.

Among these communities (just to name a few)

AIDS Foundation of South Africa (http://www.aids.org.za/)

Pangaea Global AIDS foundation (http://pgaf.org/where/south-africa)

Keep a child a live (http://keepachildalive.org/)

The Stephen Lewis Foundation (http://www.stephenlewisfoundation.org/)

Partners for Africa (http://www.pfa-partnersforafrica.org/)

AIDS Health Care Foundation (http://www.aidshealth.org/global-programs/countries/south-africa.html)

West Africa AIDS Foundation (http://www.waafweb.org/)

Southern Africa AIDS Foundation (http://www.saaf.org.uk/)

African AIDS Foundation (http://www.africanaidsfoundation.org.au/)

The Safe Haven Project (http://safehavenproject.org/)

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (http://www.pedaids.org/What-We-re-Doing/Where-We-Are-Working/South-Africa)

In the end, I am sorry if my previous post delivered a pessimistic view of the AIDS situation in Africa. I hope this one can improve this picture and encourage you to "rethink" AIDS and have a part in solving this problem, whether you are African or not.

Image credit by Ashvidia via Wikimedia Commons