World AIDS Day 2008: PIH partners celebrate with speeches, song, dance, and solidarity

By Max Bearak

Almost three decades after the emerging AIDS pandemic became widely recognized, staff and community members at Partners In Health sites in Lesotho, Rwanda, Haiti and Peru celebrated the achievements they and others have made in combating the spread and deadliness of the disease. December 1 was the twentieth annual observance of World AIDS Day, which is dedicated to raising awareness and mobilizing action to fight a disease that has killed more than 25 million people and infected more than 33 million people currently living with HIV. Despite greater awareness and scientific breakthroughs in AIDS treatment, HIV/AIDS still poses a major obstacle to improving public health and reducing poverty levels, especially in the developing world. The events at PIH sites stressed not only how far the fight against AIDS has come, but how far it still has to go.

In Haiti—contests for radio listeners and poets
help spread the word about HIV

	World AIDS Day event in Lascahobas

Zanmi Lasante (ZL – PIH's partner organization in Haiti) has been organizing World AIDS Day events for many years. For 2008, ZL tried out some new and innovative ideas to get the public involved in AIDS treatment and awareness. In the week leading up to World AIDS Day, for example, radio listeners in Thomonde could win prizes by calling the station and answering questions about HIV/AIDS and health concerns in general. ZL clinical staff organized and judged a poetry contest for young people, focused on writing related to HIV. A soccer tournament was held and condoms were distributed after the match.

On World AIDS Day itself, December 1, ZL organized films, theatre productions, school assemblies, field day games, and dance competitions all across the central plateau and the lower Artibonite valley. These events brought the communities they were held in together for an entertaining day that was infused with information and tips on health issues. It is also important to note that in the week leading up to World AIDS Day and also on the day itself, voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) was administered at regional secondary schools and in mobile clinics. Over 1000 people were tested, including the winner of the poetry contest.

In Rwanda—songs, speeches and a forum for youth

PIH's Rwandan partners Inshuti Mu Buzima (IMB) joined local communities in southern Kayonza district to mark World AIDS Day with songs, speeches and testimonies, along with the Elizabeth Glasser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) and the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA). Hundreds of people attended the celebration at Rwinkwavu Stadium. Speaking on behalf of Rwinkwavu’s mayor, Mr. Ntabyera Emmanuel thanked IMB for their work and urged the audience to get tested for HIV and to persuade other community members to do so with the goal of having all 5,000 families living in the area tested by this January. Other speeches highlighted HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) for couples as one of the most important ways of combating AIDS, along with family planning and education of youth. At the end of the ceremony, 22 young girls and boys who had been trained for six months through PIH vocational training programs were given certificates and materials to help them start projects that will provide jobs and income.

	Young people practice traditional dance in a Youth Forum workshop

In collaboration with FACE AIDS, IMB also held a three-day World AIDS Day Youth Forum, complete with workshops and speeches by local community leaders. Professional counselors also attended and conducted sessions with the attendees. The workshops were aimed at students, with the message that the impact of AIDS should not limit their ability to become bright, capable leaders with broad futures. Attendees participated in numerous activities designed both to provide valuable information and to foster self-esteem, including creative workshops on traditional and popular dance, film, painting, and theater. The were encouraged to set social, economic and educational goals, and were given tips on health, nutrition, sexuality and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. To close the forum, a popular local singer, Miss Jojo, gave a rousing song and dance performance.

In Lesotho—mountain community celebrates progress
and honors departing doctor

World AIDS Day celebrations at the Nohana clinic in Lesotho coincided with the departure of Dr. Jonas Rigodon, the clinic’s head physician. Dr. Rigodon, who brought his medical skills and commitment to social justice from the central plateau of Haiti to the mountains of Lesotho, is leaving to assume new responsibilities with PIH's project in Malawi. Representatives of local Chief Mantha, village health workers (VHWs), patient representatives and members of the ministry of health came together to express thanks to Dr. Rigodon while also making speeches full of encouraging messages about World AIDS Day and Lesotho’s AIDS crisis.

Dr. Rigodon pointed out in his speech that only two more years remain to reach the global goal of providing universal access to comprehensive prevention, treatment, care, and support by the year 2010. In Nohana, a great deal of progress has been made since the clinic was opened in 2006. Over 6000 people have received HIV testing counseling; over 2000 people have been found positive; and more than 1000 are now receiving anti-retroviral treatment.

"I asked you to do something symbolic during last year's event," Dr Rigodon recalled. "I asked you to shake hands with the person next to you and to tell him or her to start his or her leadership now - in their family and in the community. Now it is time to deliver. The promise must be kept and people must feel empowered to act."

In Peru—informational displays and handicraft sales

Socios En Salud (SES – PIH's partner organization in Peru) took part in an informational health fair on HIV and AIDS organized by the Peruvian Ministry of Health and other health organizations. More than 50 public and private organizations participated in the event which asserted in its slogan, “You can Prevent HIV! Stay Informed! Get Tested!” The event also commemorated 25 years since the first diagnosed case of the disease in Perú.

	SES's booth at the World AIDS Day Fair featured handicrafts made by patients

Socios En Salud's booth at the fair offered informational materials on their work with HIV/AIDS affected families, as well as handicrafts made by patients and accompanying personal narratives. The SES booth attracted a wide range of visitors, including officials from the Ministry of Health and other health organizations, journalists, doctors and health workers, and students. Some stopped by the booth to praise SES staff for success in increasing enrollment in treatment programs and in early identification of affected children. Others came seeking community outreach materials based on the SES experience. The team counseled one teenage girl on HIV symptoms and where to get treatment after she approached them in tears about a history of sexual abuse.

[published December 2008]