Silence Kills! Talk to me about HIV and Aids

The first of December is World Aids Day. According to the Cameroonian statistics, about 3% of all Cameroonians live with HIV. UNAIDS is giving different numbers, according to them, 4,5% of all Cameroonians is HIV positive. (To compare, UNAIDS is giving the following numbers: Nigeria; 3,1%, Swaziland; 26,5% and the Netherlands; 0,2%)

Health Scouts of GPS Kiyan

In the North West Region, the hospitals try to test every pregnant woman during her fourth month of pregnancy. If a woman tests positive, they treat her to reduce the chances of the baby to be HIV positive.

Of all the pregnant women who do the test (what is the vast majority) 7,6% is testing positive. This makes me wonder how accurate the numbers of the Cameroonian government and UNAIDS are. Like in many African countries, the taboo on HIV and Aids is big. People don’t get tested. So I am wondering how many people live here who don’t know their status. In the end, these women don’t get infected by themselves…

Knowledge for Children, our partner Rural Development Foundation (RDF) and the two main hospitals in Kumbo came together to celebrate World Aids Day 2014. The hospitals were offering free voluntary counselling and testing. In this way, we hope at least some more people are aware of their status.

Two Health Clubs of Knowledge for Children schools were performing songs and sketches to sensitize people in the market. They sensitize about HIV and Aids, but also against stigmatization and taboo. One of the slogans they used was; ‘Silence kills! Talk to me about HIV and Aids’.

Health Scouts of GS Shisong

I am afraid they are right. Like in the Netherlands, people can receive treatment here for HIV. This doesn’t cure the disease, but allows you to live for long. But people are so scared, maybe especially because of the stigma, that they don’t get tested.

I will never forget the woman I met in Cotonou in 2006. She came to the hospital and told the doctor; ‘I have a problem. I am four months pregnant but my husband doesn’t know I am HIV positive. How do I get a healthy baby, without my husband finding out about my status?’ The taboo, the stigma, is preventing people from talking to their partners. They are scared to take the test, they don’t know their status and infect others.

The stigma is not easy to fight. But I think it is important that we try. Our Health Clubs are a way to make children talk about HIV and Aids, even before they become sexually active. Also for them and their teachers, it is not always easy to talk about HIV. But silence kills, let’s talk about it. Talk to your children, to your family and fight the stigma!