Rethink HIV: World AIDS Day 2015

By World Camp Intern Rachael Thorn

World AIDS Day is held each year on December 1st to continue support for the fight against HIV and to commemorate those who have died because of an HIV or AIDS related illness. It began in 1988, making this the 27th year of this international health day. While there have been great strides in the past three decades in understanding HIV and developing treatment, World AIDS Day reminds us that this struggle is not yet over. 

Here are some stats of what happened in 2014 alone (AVERT):
Estimated 36.9 million people living with HIV
2.6 million children living with HIV
54% of all people living with HIV know they have the virus
2 million new HIV infections
220,000 new HIV infections in children

This health pandemic still affects a huge number of the population. Although HIV is manageable with proper regimented treatment, there continues to be misconceptions, stigmatization, fear of getting treatment and lack of access to treatment that pose as obstacles. World AIDS Day is a time we can all come together and show solidarity in the fight against AIDS. Support our HIV health and education programs by visiting our donation page. You can also order your red ribbon.

Your gift provides services and awareness to Malawian communities. By taking this day to reflect on the evolution of this pandemic and rethink HIV, it gives us the opportunity to create new ways of providing support and infrastructure that can benefit those, especially youth, living with HIV in Malawi. Thank you!

Reflections on Camp Hope

By Intern Zoey Ponder

As this summer’s sessions of Camp Hope wind to an end and World Camp begins to prepare for our year-round programming, we all take the time to pause and reflect on our time spent at Camp. I was lucky enough to spend four days at two different camp sessions this year and will forever remember how touching this opportunity has been. 

Camp Hope is held in a beautiful setting, sort of off the beaten path about an hour outside of Lilongwe. The campsite lies against the backdrop of amazing rocky peaks and surrounded by quiet villages and farmland. The last fifteen minutes of the drive in is filled with kids yelling “azungu” (a friendly nickname for someone with light skin) and waving at the car as we bounce up and down on the dirt road. The campsite itself has large boys’ and girls’ dorm rooms as well as a huge dining hall in the center. Off to the right of the dorms and dining hall is a soccer field and the main hall and classrooms are over on the far side of that. 

Meal times are some of the silliest times. Kids have three meals and three snacks each day to help teach the value of nutritious eating and to provide valuable nutrition they may not receive at home. It was at Camp Hope that I tried Malawian food for the first time. Everyone is encouraged to eat as much as they want, as it was explained to me by an enthusiastic camper, “This is Africa, EAT EVERYTHING!” Meal times are also utilized to teach campers important food groups, staying hydrated and to celebrate the “Super Campers”. Super Campers are campers who are celebrated for their accomplishments at Camp during “Camp Kawawa” - which is essentially a big party of singing and dancing and giving out awards for any number of accomplishments that can earn one the “Super Camper” certificate. 

Outside of mealtimes the day is filled with loads of activities, special classes on all sorts of topics from the stigma attached to HIV to arts, crafts and campfires. I was very impressed to see the kids memorizing their ART (antiretroviral therapy) treatments and pill names so they can advocate for themselves and understand their treatment. Kids at Camp Hope get the chance to learn a lot about HIV and how they can help keep themselves healthy, like the importance of taking your treatment each day and the value of nutritious food. 

One of my favorite activities was the creation of a goals book. Campers got a picture of themselves taken in front of the Camp Hope sign, which many of them were very excited to share with me—and let me tell you these kids know how to strike a pose! Inside their books, they are encouraged to write what they want to achieve with their lives. Many of them wrote professions like a nurse or an accountant. They then wrote how to achieve these goals, what might stand in their way and how to overcome those obstacles. It was amazing to see kids who very seriously wanted to figure out how to achieve their goals. They were even asking me how to reach their goals and wanting me to share my goal book to them. It was an honor to have them want to share their books with me. 

Camp Hope really is a wonderful place for these kids. I saw so many of them laughing, holding hands, dancing together and sharing stories of struggle and hopes of a very bright future. These kids face a lot every day, but they are brave. Together, I saw them standing tall, whether it be dancing on the stage at Stage Night or in the lunch room receiving their “Super Camper” award. I am very proud of everyone who took part in this year’s Camp Hope and I can only hope that Camp Hope will continue to reach more kids each and every year.

A Hopeful Future

HIV was first reported in Malawi in 1985. Since then, the spread of HIV has reached 10.8% of the adult population. “Malawi has a generalized HIV epidemic. HIV prevalence among persons aged 15 to 49 years has been declining steadily from 16.4% in 1999 to 11.8% in 2004 and then 10.6% in 2010.” Not only does the disease affect the adult population, but about 170,000 children also live with HIV (Malawi AIDS Response Progress Report 2015).

Photo: AVERT
An HIV prevention poster in Mzimba, Malawi.

Counsellor explaining about HIV testing and treatment on World AIDS Day, Malawi - See more at: http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-malawi.htm#sthash.qndVapSH.dpuf

Counsellor explaining about HIV testing and treatment on World AIDS Day, Malawi - See more at: http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-malawi.htm#sthash.qndVapSH.dpuf

Counsellor explaining about HIV testing and treatment on World AIDS Day, Malawi - See more at: http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-malawi.htm#sthash.qndVapSH.dpuf

Increased prevention work and education over the past decade attributed to the decline in new cases. Although, Malawi’s infrastructure and economic standing make it difficult to truly erase it from epidemic status. Recent years indicate positive steps in the right direction, but prior decades of poor governance and constrictive bureaucracy left behind a lot of work to be done.

HIV prevention and access to antiretroviral drugs are the focuses to curbing the spread of the disease. Initiatives currently implemented include: expanding voluntary HIV testing and counseling (HCT/ VCT), prevention of mother-to-child transmission services, condom promotion and distribution, voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC), blood safety measures, mass media campaigns, and life skills education (LSE) for young people (AVERT).

Many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) collect high volumes of data in their hands-on work to identify the most common causes of transmission and the most affected demographics. Organizations such as the World Bank, the Global Fund, the World Health Organization, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) have all taken an active role in funding and planning to decrease incidence and increase awareness in Malawi (AVERT).

Photo: AVERT
Counselor explaining HIV testing and treatment on World AIDS Day, Malawi.

UNAIDS, specifically, leads the way in analyzing target goals to catalyze initiative to eliminate HIV/AIDS. Their plan for 2015 has been very successful. The target goal for 2015, as set out in the Millennium Development Goal 6 of 2000, has been surpassed. This year, UNAIDS “celebrates the milestone achievement of 15 million people on antiretroviral treatment—an accomplishment deemed impossible when the MDGs were established 15 years ago… [Worldwide,] new HIV infections have fallen by 35% and AIDS-related deaths by 41%” (UNAIDS).

Malawi’s steadily improving situation reflects the larger global picture, but meeting goals requires working within localized communities. Greater awareness and education will lead to a better perspective on HIV prevention in Malawi. For example, many adults do not get tested, but simply assume they are living with HIV because of its prevalence. Unsafe sex is justified by choosing partners based on their societal status or perceived cleanliness. Even if precautions are taken, condom use and safe sex practices are rarely being implemented on a consistent basis. Education, access to testing sites, and decreased stigmatization of testing will be key factors in the next five years in continuing to improve the state of Malawi’s HIV epidemic.

Looking to the future, UNAIDS’s highlights its target goals for 2020, “90% of people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression” (UNAIDS 90-90-90).

By World Camp Intern Rachael Thorn