AFRO-NETS> Consequences of Bad HIV/AIDS Communication Strategies

[A Odutola <chpss_abo@yahoo.com>]

Consequences of Bad HIV/AIDS Communication Strategies
-----------------------------------------------------

With the advent of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and efforts by various in-
terest groups to combat it, the developing world and Africa in par-
ticular has been inundated with HIV communication messages that 
clearly sends the message that HIV/AIDS as a disease carries immedi-
ate death sentence to the sufferer. 

Such messages include:
a) HIV/AIDS has no cure
b) AIDS is a deadly disease, etc.

Although better communication strategies offering hope, compassion 
and long-term self care opportunities to AIDS sufferers are beginning 
to appear in other places, the emphasis in most developing countries 
is still that of scare mongering and "death sentence".

The story below obtained from one of Nigeria's reliable national 
daily speaks to the impact of bad HIV/AIDS communication strategies 
on the human psyche and naturally calls for concerted change in 
strategies by HIV/AIDS communication practitioners in developing 
countries.

Please read on:

--
Man throws AIDS infected daughter into Lagoon

This Day (Nigeria)
Published: May 31 2002
Posted: May 31 2002

By: Yemi Akinsuyi

A 32-year old man is to stand trial for murder for allegedly throwing 
his 10-month-old daughter into the lagoon.

Mr. Olumide Odusoga of 4, Brook Street, Lagos Island, was recently 
charged to the Yaba Magistrate Court 3 alongside his friend, Sikiru 
Balogun, for allegedly throwing Femi, who tested positive to AIDS, 
into the Lagoon at Marina, Lagos, on the advice of his friend.

Odusoga and his friend, who are currently remanded at the Ikoyi 
Prison on holding charge, the account had it, had at about 1.45 pm on 
March 19, 2002, taken the 10-month-old little Femi to the Marina, be-
hind the Army Officers Mess, Lagos, where they allegedly threw her 
into the Lagoon to put an end to her life, four days after the death 
of her mother.

Mrs. Odusoga was said to have suddenly fell ill and was hospitalized 
at a prestigious hospital in central Lagos, where the woman remained 
for several months without showing any improvement.

In fact, her condition was said to have deteriorated badly, prompting 
her doctor to carry out HIV/AIDS test on her. The test reportedly 
showed her to be HIV/AIDS positive.

The report terribly shattered Odusoga, obvious to him that his wife 
has no chance of survival anymore.

Mrs. Odusoga eventually died last March 25, leaving Femi, who was now 
sick, to the care of a dejected Odusoga.

The circumstances surrounding her death was said to have made his 
friends to advise that Femi undergo HIV/AIDS test. The test as well 
revealed that the 10-month-old baby had been infected with the 
dreaded disease.

Prior to that time, Odusoga had had key support of his friend, Sikiru 
Balogun. Balogun, who had committed everything, including money in 
aid of his friend, was as well devastated by the doctor?s report on 
the baby.

Both men were unable to immediately come up with a solution to the 
problem, having been so shattered.

Balogun, who reasoned that his friend for once put the whole thing 
behind since there was no chance of the baby surviving, was said to 
have allegedly advised his friend to find a way of doing away with 
the baby instead of continuing to waste time and money on her.

Unable to think of how to go about that, the same Balogun allegedly 
advised him to throw her into the Lagoon since, in his opinion, it is 
the best and only way the baby could be so done away with without at-
tracting attention.

Odusoga reportedly bought the idea and at about 1.45pm last March 19, 
the two men allegedly took the baby along with them to the Marina, 
where they threw her into the Lagoon.

The news eventually filtered to the Brook street residence of the 
Odusoga's and a neighbour was believed to have eventually alerted the 
police.

The two men were promptly arrested and the case later transferred to 
the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti, Yaba, La-
gos.

An officer, who however, spoke on condition of anonymity, said inves-
tigation had been concluded into the matter and the case has been 
charged to the Magistrate Court 3, Yaba, Lagos, which had ordered the 
suspects to be remanded at the Ikoyi prison on a holding a charge.

He said the two suspects were of sound mind, answering questions put 
to them coherently.

The officer said Odusoga claimed that he committed the offence out of 
frustration, pleading that he be forgiven.

Neighbours of the Odusoga's at their 4, Brook Street, Lagos, who were 
full of pity for the man, said the man loved his family and did eve-
rything possible not only to make life comfortable for them but to 
save the lives of his wife and child but to no avail.

They were moved with pity that the situation ended that way for Odu-
soga. 

Source: ThisDay, Friday, May 31, 2002. Page: 53. By:
Yemi Akinsuyi.

Keywords: Nigeria. Lagos state. HIV/AIDS. Infected. Mother to child 
transmission. MTCT. Homicide. 

--
Dateline Health Nigeria is a copyrighted health communication initia-
tive of the Centre for Health Policy & Strategic Studies, (CHPSS) La-
gos, Nigeria.

Comments?, Questions?, Requests?, Contact:

Titi Odulate
Editorial Assistant
CHPSS
34 Town Planning Way, Ilupeju
P.O. Box 7597, Ikeja
Lagos, Nigeria
Tel: +234-2-470-1255
Fax: +234-1-263-5285
mailto:chpss_abo@yahoo.com
http://www.expage.com/chpsshomepage

--
To send a message to AFRO-NETS, write to: afro-nets@usa.healthnet.org
To subscribe or unsubscribe, write to: majordomo@usa.healthnet.org
in the body of the message type: subscribe afro-nets OR unsubscribe afro-nets
To contact a person, send a message to: afro-nets-help@usa.healthnet.org
Information and archives: http://www.afronets.org