Stigmatization of people living with HIV (PLHIV) has really not been on the decline but rather making a fast progression as a result of the ineffectiveness of the Ghana Aids Comission (GAC) ACT 2015. People Living with HIV (PLHIV) feel treated with condemnation, low esteem and disgust by healthcare providers, the society and family while others however undergo self-stigmatization.
In the recent National HIV & AIDS Research Conference (NHARCON) 2018 organized by GAC on 8th-11th May held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), Nana Otuo Siriboe II, the chairman of the conference in his opening remarks stated that “As a traditional ruler, I have identified stigma as a major challenge in the response to HIV”. He then further pledged his personal support to use his office to help provide a positive response to HIV.
HIV Patients can be discouraged from continuously visiting the pharmacy for their drugs because of perhaps stigmatization from the pharmacist, dispensing technician or any other healthcare providers.
An account of a 52 year old patient has it that she decided to give up on her treatment process because she was being seen in the hospital as a street woman who betrayed her husband. This she felt labelled as a prostitute.
In the Korlebu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), retro patients have a specialized pharmacy where they are the only ones attended to in order to shield them from public glare and also to be able to see to the already huge number of PLHIV seeking treatment.
According to a Medical laboratory scientist at the Korle-Bu Fevers unit, the unit used to have a specialized private section for the rich and prestigious who visit for healthcare. This they do to protect their image. He however said that, such special service do not officially exit any more, however some rich patient still book for private sections with the Doctors on non-clinic days. Although massive awareness and education have been done over the years to reduce the stigma attached to the disease, people obviously still feel stigmatized to be identified with it.
Three HIV infected patients who were interviewed on the issue of stigmatisation; Kojo, Kwame and Adwoa narrated respectively that,
‘’For me, I am aware of the stigmatization, however, for my condition it’s only my mother who knows about it and I do not talk about it to others. I have been living with the condition for the past 3 years. The medical doctor who attended to me, cautioned me not to tell anyone except for my mother who already knows. Even if I go to another hospital, I should not mention I have HIV infection but if the attending clinician found out himself, that’s okay’’. Asking about as to whether he has received any form of stigmatization from dispensers at the HIV treatment centre he said that ‘’So far, they have been good at their work and they interact well with us”.
On the account of Kwame, he said ‘’ since I was diagnosed of the diseased condition, only my senior sister and mother is aware. No one else knows about my condition and so far I have not had any stigmatization encounter with the counsellors and dispensers here at Korle -Bu’’.
‘’Since I was diagnosed with the condition, Korle-Bu has been my treatment centre and I have not experienced any stigmatization problem with the dispensers. The only problem I have is with my grandchildren. I am always afraid to carry them because my perception posed such threat of transmission meanwhile I am aware touching does not transmit the infection, however, I am afraid. Maybe it’s my consciences’’ says Adwoa.
Whilst some patients feel stigmatized by health workers and the society, others undergo self-stigmatization. This group of people (self-stigmatized) feels ashamed and embarrassed about the disease and in a bid to shy away from it tries to mask their face with sunglasses and large hats when they come for healthcare or even dissociate themselves from their families.
According to UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Team on AIDS (Joint Team) in 2016 supported Ghana in achieving the 90-90-90 targets and championed the passing of the Ghana AIDS Commission Act of 2015 (GAC Act) by the National Assembly on 18 October 2016. Amongst the provisions made by the Act is provision for anti-stigma and discrimination as well as the protection of the rights of PLHIV. How much of this have been flouted so far? Have there been penalties for those (including health care providers) who discriminate against HIV patients who seek for healthcare? Are the HIV patients who are duly represented by this Act of law fully aware of their rights? These are thought-provoking questions to ponder upon.
In a study conducted to assess the perceptions of Ghanaian Pharmacists towards people living with HIV/AIDS, only 17% of pharmacists had acceptable attitudes towards them.
Pharm Elaine Adovi Awumee of the Korlebu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) said Ghana is nowhere near the anti-stigmatization campaign. She acknowledged that, although formerly, Ghana was doing well due to the public education and campaign, she is of the view that the country is back to its initial position were stigmatization against HIV/AIDS patients is still a battle to be won. “The stigmatization is obvious that even colleagues who I worked with during my first job position think I have been infected because I helped and counsel HIV/AIDS patient.” She added. Pharm Awumee iterated that, to help stop or reduce the stigmatization, the country should revisit its public stigmatization education.
Speaking to an anti-retroviral drug dispenser at the Pharmacy unit of KBTH, Madam Sabina said, ‘’I have been dispensing this drug for the past 6 years and among the health practitioners I have come to work with, we do not stigmatize against HIV patients, and as a way of making them feel loved, we take their gifts when they offer them’’. She however admitted that patients do think otherwise of them as a patient once confessed, ‘’I thought if I give you a gift you will not take it because of my condition”. She will then exclaim and repeat to the patients that she is equally a human being and his condition is just like any other infection.
Life should not end after testing positive for HIV but rather deliberate efforts should be made towards improving the life of all PLHIV in the country as the President for PLHIV, Emmanuel Beluzebr Suukure rightly said. Let’s join the fight against stigmatization. Let’s advocate for a more effective policy and offenders should not be allowed to go scot free. Efforts should be intensified to build capacity of religious and traditional leaders as well as healthcare givers for community mobilization and advocacy against all forms of social exclusion as well as strengthening solidarity among PLHIV for collective action.
Disclaimer: Whiles every attempt has been made to verify the information provided in this report story, any reference to any person, organization or business whether living or dead is purely coincidental. In as much as the account of the patients use in this story is real and accurate, the names given to the patients are not their real given names but for reference only.
Authors:
Mary Nafaye, Dr. P.Edem. Nukunu, Sharon Antah, Prince O. Sarpong, Prof. Major (Rtd) George Asare
(medicaljournalismgh@gmail.com)
NOTE: This story was originally published on the Medical Journalists’ Association(MJA)-Ghana website, mjaghana.com
