[afro-nets] Swazi HIV Rate Surpasses Botswana's As World's Highest

[Dieter Neuvians MD <neuvians@mweb.co.za>]

Swazi HIV Rate Surpasses Botswana's As World's Highest
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Source: U.N.Wire 
http://www.unwire.org/UNWire/20040322/449_14207.asp
Monday, March 22, 2004 
 
A senior U.N. official criticized Swaziland's monarchy Saturday 
for failing to rein in HIV/AIDS, which now infects 38.6 percent 
of Swaziland's population, making the southern African nation's 
prevalence rate the highest in the world, Agence France-Presse 
reports:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040321/hl_afp/swaziland_un_aids_040321170952
 
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's special envoy for HIV/AIDS 
in Africa, Stephen Lewis, closed his three-day visit to Swazi-
land by slamming the kingdom's leadership for being "too slow to 
recognize the threat of HIV/AIDS on people's lives" and saying 
it would have to act with "lightning speed" if it wanted to re-
duce the prevalence rate.
 
Swaziland has now overtaken Botswana, which previously had the 
world's highest percentage of HIV-infected people at 38.8 per-
cent (AFP/Yahoo! News, March 21). In 2002, Botswana tied Swazi-
land with a prevalence rate of just over 38 percent. However, in 
2001, the Botswana government launched a campaign against 
HIV/AIDS that included provision of anti-retroviral drugs free 
of charge to all sufferers. The prevalence rate there is now 
37.5 percent.
 
Swaziland has yet to undertake such a concerted effort. Accord-
ing to World Markets Research Center (http://www.wmrc.com/), 
this has resulted in a steady climb from Swaziland's 4 percent 
HIV infection rate a decade ago. Also, the lack of political 
freedom under the leadership of King Mswati III, Africa's last 
absolute monarch, has clouded the nation's ties to the interna-
tional donor community, barring much-needed funding for an anti-
HIV/AIDS campaign (Gus Selassie, World Markets Research Center 
release, March 19).
 
Lewis recalled that on his previous visit to Swaziland, about 70 
percent of the beds at the central Mbabane government hospital 
were filled with AIDS patients. Now doctors say that figure has 
climbed to 90 percent, Lewis said.
 
As a result of the high rate of HIV infection, the nation's or-
phan population is also growing. Lewis said that according to 
Swazi authorities, by 2010 there will be 120,000 children with-
out parents because of AIDS. 
 
Lewis also addressed the importance of gender equality when com-
bating HIV/AIDS saying, "Women must have the right to say no (to 
sex), the right to insist that men wear condoms."
 
Encouraging health organizations to speak up, Lewis insisted 
that when it came to the AIDS pandemic, it was necessary to be 
forceful with political leaders and even kings.
 
Lewis also reserved criticism for the international community 
for merely watching as AIDS swept across Africa for 20 years. 
"But it's changing," he said. "There is a willingness now to 
help" (Integrated Regional Information Networks, March 19):
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=40160&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=SWAZILAND