| From: |
"Gabriel, ADEYEMO" [ profile ] |
| Subject: |
Girl walks 12km for ARVs
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| Sent: |
Apr 16th, 2012 - 09:38:26 |
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Source: New Vision Uganda
Author: Tom Gwebayanga
Link: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/630207-girl-walks-12km-for-arvs.html
Hey Guyz!!!
With the look of things in most of our African countries, i doubt if we are
gonna come near achieving a Universal Access by 2015 with all of these
set-backs, discrimination and stigmatization of our fellow humans.
For the last five months, 17-year-old Martha (not real name) has been a
common sight on the Nabirumba-Kamuli road on her way to pick anti-retro-
viral (ARV) drugs from Kamuli Hospital.
Her monthly trek began in December last year after her father, a resident
of Nabwigulu sub-county, kicked her out of his home, saying he would not
waste his resources on an HIV/ AIDS patient.
Left with no choice, Martha left to live with grandfather, 9km farther away
from the nearest health facility. This meant that despite her precarious
health, she had to walk 12km to pick ARVs.
Marthas plight came to light last Friday at Nabirumba Health Centre III,
where Plan, an NGO, organised a function to mark the World Tuberculosis
Day. We have, in our midst, an AIDS patient, whose parents have dumped.
She walks 12km to and from hospital to collect her ARVs, the Kamuli
district information officer, Joseph Ngobi, said.
Ngobi said Marthas life was in danger because the grandfather, Nasani
Musengawe, was too poor to provide a balanced diet or food supplements for
the girl, let alone for him. She is sickly because of poor feeding. A
person on ARVs needs to eat foods that are rich in proteins and
carbohydrates, Ngobi added.
The sight of the frail girl evoked pity as she slowly sat up and struggled
to speak. I have lost hope. Much as I get the drugs, I should have a
balanced diet, which my grandfather cannot afford, Martha said. She said
she loves matooke, rice, meat, chicken and milk but nobody can offer her
such food.
Martha knew her HIV status in 2002 when she was only eight years old.At the
time, she had been looking after her bedridden HIV-positive aunt. She
dropped out of school in Primary Four when her health deteriorated.
Her mother died of natural causes four years ago and her father, who has
not remarried, lives with Marthas only brother. Nabirumba LC1 chairman
James Bakulube said Martha could have contracted HIV 10 years ago as she
took care of her aunt.
Comments: This kind of article makes the mind bleed because at the point
when one think there are progresses being made in advocacy for Universal
Access, then issues like these pop up and one want to blot out of the whole
thing. I'm so sure our political leaders are not making vain commitments
and promises whenever they engage themselves in meeting.
Click on the link to read full articles.
--
Many Thanks
Yours' in Prevention Science
Gabriel, ADEYEMO
Regional Focal Point - West Africa
Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AID (GYCA), a program of the Public Health
Institute
+234-80-6798-7317 | gabriel (at) gyca.org
www.gyca.org | www.phi.org
GYCA is a youth-led global network of over 6,500 young leaders and adult
allies working on youth and HIV/AIDS in 173 countries world-wide. GYCA's
mission is to empower young leaders with the skills, knowledge, resources
and opportunities they need to scale up HIV/AIDS interventions amongst
their peers.
*My United Nations Pledge 2011-2012: "To lend my wit and my strength to the
AIDS Response guiding global youth towards one goal: Zero HIV: Zero AIDS
Related Deaths, Zero New Infections, Zero Stigma"*
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