Battle the stigma
Amid all the political and economic turbulence of the last few years in South Africa, the crisis of HIV/Aids seems to have taken a back seat. World Aids Day, which is observed on December 1, is a good time for South Africans to return their focus on to the single biggest crisis the country is facing.
Simply put, we cannot allow ourselves to succumb to compassion fatigue nor to resignation in the face of what seems to be an insurmountable problem. In the absence of a magic bullet — a vaccination or a cure — our society must learn to live with Aids and adapt to it, just as those afflicted and affected by it must.
The Catholic Church in Southern Africa has done so for many years. Catholics are engaged in the HIV/Aids mission in areas where even the state is absent. The Church set up clinics to administer antiretroviral therapy at a time when the government was still deciding whether or not HIV causes Aids. The Church pioneered a home-based care system in the field of HIV/Aids, and the Church is working hard to diminish the stigma associated with HIV/Aids. Some 25% of all Aids care in the country is performed by Catholic agencies.
In short, the Catholic Church in Southern Africa, driven by the principle of solidarity with the suffering and the compassion of our Lord, has responded with energy, expertise and love through agencies on all levels, from the bishops’ conference to diocesean and parish initiatives. In the fight against HIV/Aids, the Church has led the way.
This week we read about a couple of such organisations and individuals engaged in addressing the health and social implication of the pandemic. They are just some examples of many. Alas, their mission, performed in often difficult circumstances, rarely receives public recognition and they must battle with diminishing funding. Matters are complicated when the state makes financial support dependent on the distribution of condoms, a complex matter on which the universal Church has yet to arrive at a clear teaching. The phased withdrawal of funding from the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) will demand greater initiative by South African Catholics, even if negotiations for some continued support succeed (as we must pray they will).
A crucial element in the battle against HIV/Aids concerns the stigmatisation of those who are infected by it. We must be alarmed at the observation by Sr Alison Muonro OP, who heads the bishops’ Aids Desk: “There are well documented case studies of people living with HIV, even educated people, who would rather die than present themselves for treatment.”
Many will not even let themselves be tested, because they fear social and professional exclusion should they be revealed to be HIV-positive. This is a particular concern for women who often are blamed for bringing the disease into the family—not their philandering husbands — and are then ostracised.
The fears of stigma have a basis, even today. A programme of destigmatisation therefore is not only a health issue but also a social priority. It must be emphasised that HIV/Aids is not invariably a consequence of immoral conduct. Sexual activity is not always a matter of choice, certainly not in South Africa where many women have little sexual autonomy. And even when apparent licentious conduct does lead to infection, the Christian instinct must be not to judge and ostracise, but to offer compassion and care.
“Stigma remains the single most important barrier to public action. It is a main reason why too many people are afraid to see a doctor to determine whether they have the disease, or to seek treatment if so,” UN secretary-general Ban Ki Moon wrote in 2008. “Stigma is a chief reason why the Aids epidemic continues to devastate societies around the world.”
And it is in the area of fighting that stigma where the Church, as a body that offers guidance on morals and ethics, must make its voice heard loudly.
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