The fact that we are in the 21st century, does not for one
moment imply that discrimination has indeed taken a back seat. Discrimination
of the disabled, poor, illiterate, sick and even third world nations is indeed
a reality. The recent antidiscrimination campaign by UNAIDS calls on the world
to look at the sanctity of a human person and see them beyond their health
status, being HIV being key. It calls on you and me to respect people, treat
them with outmost dignity and accept them just as they are. It is interesting
to note that in today's society, the discrimination is no longer limited to the
HIV positive but also close friends and family of such individuals. In the wake
of equality, freedom of rights and respect of human rights, one would think
that people would be more tolerant or at least understanding on the HIV/AIDs
scourge. On HIV, the late Nelson Mandela, the Aids campaigner of our generation
was coined as saying: 'treat it as a normal illness'. Indeed HIV should not be
sending individuals running in opposite directions but should make people come
together to offer and attempt to find dependable solutions to reduce its
negative impact on society and not point fingers.
It can't go without saying that indeed, HIV is a dangerous
condition that can be passed on to others, however, not by mere association, of
talk and chatter. Discrimination of HIV people continues to cost innocent
people jobs, relationships, opportunities to serve the society as leaders and
key influencers. It is sad that HIV is solely associated with sexual immorality
with people being shunned as being irresponsible and careless. One then wonders
what happens to a Catholic sister who got the infection while volunteering at a
hospital, a child who got it from the mother, a faithful husband who got it
from a cheating wife, a doctor or nurse who got it while offering treatment to
a patient, all these examples of how the society continues to be unfair in its
judgment and stand on HIV.
To those infected, HIV feels like a death sentence and
indeed to some extent it is because no cure has been discovered for HIV.
However, this offers no valid ground for discrimination.
Many continue to suffer in silence and solitude, afraid to
seek medical attention for fear of societal scrutiny and alienation. The
confidentiality associated with the health status of an individual is still
withstanding as no one is mandated to proclaim their health conditions in the
name of transparency an openness to society. The problem is when conditions are
critical, and an individual for fear of discrimination fails to seek medical
attention or help from close family and friends.
The divide then becomes that it has little bearing how one
acquired HIV but what they do afterwards. Most HIV infected persons have been
accused of propelling the discrimination associated with HIV by repelling the
society before they even get the hang of things. How? Refusing help and
associating it with pity, others up and quit their jobs for fear of rejection
at the workplace and loss of their jobs while some literally lock themselves up
in their own homes. With Bill of Rights being in the frontline to fight for the
human rights of all, discrimination does not have to eat up a society and the
standing of its members.
HIV is indeed here to stay with us as even if one is not
infected, they are affected in one way or another. Having that in mind, "Equal
opportunities for all, open mindedness, be the change you want to be", the Butterfly mantra goes!
www.unaids.org
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