[afro-nets] Greener pastures and HIV/AIDS in Africa

["Sarah Kinyangi" <hopesara5@yahoo.com>]

Greener pastures and HIV/AIDS in Africa
---------------------------------------

It pains me to see how Africa and other developing countries are losing their health workers to Europe and other developed countries and especially in this era of HIV/AIDS, and this at a time when we need them the most.
   
This I feel is a sorry state of affairs at a time when so many people are getting infected and dying from AIDS in developing countries like Africa. The fact that we are now facing another crisis of a shortage of health care workers leaves a very grim picture of this state of affairs. 
   
I do feel that health care workers need to be more patriotic and look out for the needs of their countries. If they all flee their countries, which have used a lot of resources to have them trained, are they really observing the fundamentals of the Hippocratic Oath? It is within their mandate for them to come together and see what they can do as health professionals to tackle AIDS in their various countries. The solution to this pandemic should not be left for others but ourselves to tackle otherwise what is the use of the skills and knowledge acquired at the training institutions if you are not able to work towards solving the problems of your own country, how is the country to benefit from what it has invested in you? Some use the ever common excuse of lack of resources to serve the needs of those who are infected, but can?t they try to put to best use of the little that they have to get around this problem? Because if they don?t, who will?
   
At the same time I do believe that at this critical juncture and in the face of the heath care crisis in Africa, traditional healers are to be encouraged to take up a more if not a vigorous active role in addressing HIV/AIDS. This will make it cheaper for PLWHA to have easy access to safer, cheaper and easily accessible treatment. ARVs are expensive and not easily accessed by most of those who need it.  In situations where the level of poverty is high, as is the case in most of the African countries, the high nutritious foods needed to make the drugs take effect may not be easy to come by and in this case ARVs may instead make things worse. 
   
In the face of the challenges stated above, governments will have to take more responsibility and see how the skills and knowledge of traditional healers can be put to good and effective use. It is time to take more initiative in this matter instead of waiting or relying on external support alone. 
   
WE THEREFORE NEED TO BE MORE PRO-ACTIVE AND WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT AIDS IS EVERYBODY' RESPONSIBILITY, YOU, ME, EVERYONE!!
   
Sarah Kinyangi
AIDS and Rural Development
mailto:hopesara5@yahoo.com