Health Interactive With Dr Aminu Magashi.

HIV Matters: Between Mr. Adegboye and N.I.T

cphkano@yahoo.co.uk

I may be flogging a dead horse but never the less, I wish to comment on the raging controversy and serious tango between Mr. Frederick Adegboye, a person living with HIV/AIDS and National Institute Of Journalism ( NTI ) over admission matter which has been going on for the last 8 weeks. As it was reported in many national dailies (The Sun, Vanguard, New Age and Daily Champion) and a very popular health E -forum being managed by Journalist Against AIDS (JAIDS). The editorial of Guardian Newspaper (4th August, 2004) entitled ‘Adegboye vs.  NIJ was very thorough and captured almost the entire ordeal of Adegboye in the hands of NIJ authorities.

The said editorial mentioned amongst others that Mr. Adegboye, a 45 year old man whose provisional admission for a diploma programme in Mass Communication at NIJ Lagos was unjustifiably with drawn by the authorities of that institution by reason only of his being HIV/AIDS positive. According to the story, the said person had applied to the NIJ for admission to undergo a two year diploma (Mass Communication) and from all indications, he was admitted and made payment. The problem according to the paper started when he approached the provost of the college, Dr Elizabeth Nikem and declared his HIV status and pleaded to be allowing one day off every month to be travelling to University College Hospital, Ibadan ( UCH ) for anti retroviral therapy. He was asked to produce a letter from UCH to that effect and upon return, he was asked to with draw or shown the way out and he was no longer allowed entry in to lecture hall, in essence he was stigmatized, discriminated and ostracized by his colleagues and the college simply because he is HIV positive.

I want to believe that it takes a lot of courage and heart for someone to reveal his/her HIV status and at the same time , it takes a lot of ethics and decorum for some one to hold on to confidentiality of that secret in our nation where stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV (PLWHA) is still on the practice. The unseemly attitude of the NIJ authorities and the students to the problems surrounding  HIV/AIDS as evidenced  by the in human treatment meted out to Mr. Adegboye requires the condemnation of every one of us and more importantly calls for a wider crusade against breach of fundamental human rights of PLWHA and creating more awareness on HIV means and route of transmission, because it is glaringly obvious  that a lot of people in this country  are still ignorant of the disease and all that is supposed to be known about it.

The unnecessary fear and stigmatization of PLWHA is not only restricted to NIJ and others, it is equally seen among health personnel who are trained to provide succor and comport to patients. In December 2001 ,  I attended a one week workshop on Social Mobilization and Action Plan on Emergency HIV/AIDS Preparedness convened by National  Action Committee On AIDS and United Nation  Development Programme at Benue state . A colleague of mine who happened to be the state coordinator of HIV in one  of the states invited for that workshop told me that he was not comfortable mixing and socializing with the people living with HIV that were equally invited for the same gathering. The same goes to doctors and nurses who exhibit some degree of reservation when it comes to attending to HIV positive patients  and of course the policy of some teaching hospitals in Nigeria of screening  all intended staff before appointment. What always bothers me about that unfortunate policy is that, at the end of such screening exercise, if the hospital discovers  a positive person , definitely his/her chances of making it to be employed is at jeopardy.

If the policy is to safe guard other staff and reduces  chance of transmission, then why is the policy only looking at HIV alone, why not Hepatitis which is more deadly and infectious, that policy which I condemn in its totality is another worst form of discrimination.

Another worrisome phenomenon is what is happening among clerics of Islam and Christian faith who always insists before marrying couple, they must tender their HIV result,  this is the worst form of stigmatization. If the clerics are afraid of contagious diseases, then why HIV/AIDS. Looking at it from another angle, Syphilis and Hepatitis which are all contracted through sexual intercourse can pose greater risks to the intending couple. And who told those clerics that HIV positive people cannot marry and reproduce just like any other person. What is needed and required of the clerics and others is to enjoy People to be God fearing and faithful and to encourage voluntary counseling and testing of HIV for intended couple and general populace.

As Mr. Adegboye put it boldly ‘ I will not be intimidated when he granted interview to Vanguard Newspaper of 17^th August, 2004 published on page 30 under Good Health Weekly column, he reportedly resolved to seek and obtain justice for being stigmatized on the basis of his HIV status. I equally call on all HIV activists not to relent on their effort in condemning all forms of discrimination and stigmatization regarding HIV positive people .Let me say that one of the greatest factors leading to stigma and discrimination is lack and/or availability of anti retroviral drugs. People believe since drugs are not available or very expensive, HIV infection is synonymous to living dead. If drugs are available, cheaper and accessible, a lot of people infected with HIV will come out and make use of the drugs for healthy and positive living and to some extent, the stigma will appreciably reduce.

As I argued on several occasion on this page, the federal government policy on anti retroviral drugs being managed at  teaching hospitals and federal medical centers is grossly inadequate. The programme only caters for 10,000 to 14,000 people nation wide with subsidized drugs monthly, when some one made a comparison with the demand and millions of people that need such services, one can only pray for a better tomorrow. According to news story ‘HIV/AIDS drugs to cost FG N 32 billion published by Daily Trust (19th, August, 2004). It was reported that the federal executive council has approved the proposal of the ministry of health to spend N 32 billion on anti retro viral drugs for 200,000 people living with HIV by the end of 2005 and also the F .G has set aside N 1.5 billion for the 14,000 people already on the list of the F G.

In as much as I am happy over that pronouncement, but I have to warn that the problem has never been of making good policy or approval but it is an issue of implementation and action. The policy need to be replicated in states and LGAs for the purchase of anti retroviral drugs. What I envisage and nurture in the near future is the positive attitude of seeing HIV/AIDS just like Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension which although chronic and to some extent life time but their drugs and management are affordable by all.

Dr Magashi Is The Executive Director, Community Health And Research Initiative, Kano, Nigeria.