ACW Interview: Ms Margaret Muganwa
At the 10th International Conference on AIDS, organised by the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAA) in Kigali, Rwanda, AIDS-Care-Watch caught up with Ms. Margaret Muganwa, President of SWAA and spoke with her about essential care and treatment needs for people living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda, particularly for those who do not yet have access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment.
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ACW: The vast majority of people living with HIV/AIDS do not have access to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Can you comment on current progress in scaling up of ARV provision in your local context?
MM: ARVs are available in Uganda but I must stress that ARVs are not everything. We must use other available options such as improving our diet. Some patients have developed severe side effects after taking ARVs. We have also experienced how it can revive people and boost the workforce.
In this regard, ARVs should be an available option to all Africans both women and men. Delay means that we lose valuable workforce, deny people a chance to elongate their lives. ARVs should be everyone’s right.
ACW: Comprehensive HIV/AIDS care ranges from HIV counselling and testing services through to palliative care for those close to the end of life. Aside from ARVs, which other care and treatment options do you think are likely to add years or quality to someone’s life?
MM: I believe we can capitalise on some African foods to improve nutrition, we must be in a position to treat opportunistic infections –our hospitals should be in a position to treat common illness and give common drugs.
Medical insurance will mean that everyone can access care and treatment given in hospitals both private and public, regardless of whether one is rich or poor. Accepting the positive status (living positively) helps ease stress which we know can kill. Reduction of stigma will ensure unconditional love in the wider society.
ACW: One of the main differences between rich and poor regions in relation to HIV/AIDS is a more rapid progression towards AIDS-related illness in developing countries. What do you think might be the reasons for this difference? Can you recommend any measures that may alleviate this more rapid progression?
MM: This is principally because of the financial gap. In the west, they can access counselling, hospitals and medication to treat even simple ailments. They can access clean water, we don’t they have proper sanitation, not everyone in Africa can.
ACW: People living with HIV have a much higher lifetime risk of developing a range of common, potentially fatal, and yet treatable diseases, such as TB and meningitis. Is adequate or appropriate attention being given at the national or international level to preventing and treating these conditions?
MM: There are various efforts taking place in different countries and national governments have shown commitment. Uganda is an example but that is not all, there should be increased attention to care and treatment as well as prevention.
We appreciate efforts under Global Fund but if the money and support is able to reach every woman in the grassroots, then that will be the time we can say the battle is almost won.
ACW: Many – if not almost all – HIV-related interventions are concerned with doing things or providing material for people. In what ways do you think affected people can be empowered to take more control of their own health? What impact do you think this would have on their day-to-day lives?
MM: We should encourage everyone to test [for HIV], and for those who test positive, they should be given a chance to live positively without any fear of stigmatisation. People living with HIv/AIDS should be encouraged to take charge of their medication which should be available at the lowest level. This minimises the fatigue of travelling long distances and the transport costs. This way, they can go on with their daily duties without having to disrupt their work to travel to the capital for medication.
ACW: A number of initiatives and policy activities in 2005 – for example the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) review in September, pressure among G8 governments to accelerate debt relief and increase overseas development aid, and the final benchmark of the World Health Organisation 3x5 initiative – suggest that this year may be a crucial ‘tipping point’ that leads to greater attention to development in general and HIV/AIDS in particular. What is your feeling about this? Do you consider 2005 to be a significant year? What are your hopes?
MM: 2005 is a significant year for taking stock. Many of the goals may not be achieved but it will give everyone a chance to evaluate what has been done, how it has been done and what more can be done to achieve the goals on time.
SWAA looked at the WHO 3x5 and it was poorly gender mainstreamed. I hope we can have the opportunity to mobilize all countries who have not met their targets to do so.
My hope is that we (SWAA) can accelerate the process of policy formulation and review in whole of Africa. I hope we can mobilize all governments to be part of the process.
###
This ACW interview was conducted by an HDN Key Correspondent. To contact the HDN Key Correspondent Team, please email correspondents@hdnet.org
*****************************
ACW: The vast majority of people living with HIV/AIDS do not have access to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Can you comment on current progress in scaling up of ARV provision in your local context?
MM: ARVs are available in Uganda but I must stress that ARVs are not everything. We must use other available options such as improving our diet. Some patients have developed severe side effects after taking ARVs. We have also experienced how it can revive people and boost the workforce.
In this regard, ARVs should be an available option to all Africans both women and men. Delay means that we lose valuable workforce, deny people a chance to elongate their lives. ARVs should be everyone’s right.
ACW: Comprehensive HIV/AIDS care ranges from HIV counselling and testing services through to palliative care for those close to the end of life. Aside from ARVs, which other care and treatment options do you think are likely to add years or quality to someone’s life?
MM: I believe we can capitalise on some African foods to improve nutrition, we must be in a position to treat opportunistic infections –our hospitals should be in a position to treat common illness and give common drugs.
Medical insurance will mean that everyone can access care and treatment given in hospitals both private and public, regardless of whether one is rich or poor. Accepting the positive status (living positively) helps ease stress which we know can kill. Reduction of stigma will ensure unconditional love in the wider society.
ACW: One of the main differences between rich and poor regions in relation to HIV/AIDS is a more rapid progression towards AIDS-related illness in developing countries. What do you think might be the reasons for this difference? Can you recommend any measures that may alleviate this more rapid progression?
MM: This is principally because of the financial gap. In the west, they can access counselling, hospitals and medication to treat even simple ailments. They can access clean water, we don’t they have proper sanitation, not everyone in Africa can.
ACW: People living with HIV have a much higher lifetime risk of developing a range of common, potentially fatal, and yet treatable diseases, such as TB and meningitis. Is adequate or appropriate attention being given at the national or international level to preventing and treating these conditions?
MM: There are various efforts taking place in different countries and national governments have shown commitment. Uganda is an example but that is not all, there should be increased attention to care and treatment as well as prevention.
We appreciate efforts under Global Fund but if the money and support is able to reach every woman in the grassroots, then that will be the time we can say the battle is almost won.
ACW: Many – if not almost all – HIV-related interventions are concerned with doing things or providing material for people. In what ways do you think affected people can be empowered to take more control of their own health? What impact do you think this would have on their day-to-day lives?
MM: We should encourage everyone to test [for HIV], and for those who test positive, they should be given a chance to live positively without any fear of stigmatisation. People living with HIv/AIDS should be encouraged to take charge of their medication which should be available at the lowest level. This minimises the fatigue of travelling long distances and the transport costs. This way, they can go on with their daily duties without having to disrupt their work to travel to the capital for medication.
ACW: A number of initiatives and policy activities in 2005 – for example the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) review in September, pressure among G8 governments to accelerate debt relief and increase overseas development aid, and the final benchmark of the World Health Organisation 3x5 initiative – suggest that this year may be a crucial ‘tipping point’ that leads to greater attention to development in general and HIV/AIDS in particular. What is your feeling about this? Do you consider 2005 to be a significant year? What are your hopes?
MM: 2005 is a significant year for taking stock. Many of the goals may not be achieved but it will give everyone a chance to evaluate what has been done, how it has been done and what more can be done to achieve the goals on time.
SWAA looked at the WHO 3x5 and it was poorly gender mainstreamed. I hope we can have the opportunity to mobilize all countries who have not met their targets to do so.
My hope is that we (SWAA) can accelerate the process of policy formulation and review in whole of Africa. I hope we can mobilize all governments to be part of the process.
###
This ACW interview was conducted by an HDN Key Correspondent. To contact the HDN Key Correspondent Team, please email correspondents@hdnet.org
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