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HIV/AIDS and the productive workforce
By Isioma Joseph Madike
E-mail:
[email protected]
When
Dr. Robert Gallo stood at the American National Cancer Institute (ANCI), to
announce the discovery of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, the human existence
has been attacked by the plague - like disease with a devastating effect.
Report has it that AIDS has killed millions of people worldwide and millions of
others are living with the virus, and that about ninety per cent of the
affected worldwide live in developing countries.
The
picture is more gloomy in Africa where AIDS has continued to kill, and millions
of others still being infected everyday. It is believed that AIDS has killed
ten times the number of people who have died in all the wars of Africa
combined.
Report has it as well that the first AIDS case in
Nigeria was reported in 1986 in a 13-year-old girl. When the news was reported, it was the last Nigerians
wanted to hear at that time when the tree of military dictatorship was just
beginning to take roots. At that time, Nigerians dismissed the news with a wave
of the hand. They saw it as a far-fetched concept that existed at best in
distant lands across the sea. In extreme cases, the scourge was seen as nothing
more than the mere imagination of the white man. This belief, albeit erroneous,
cuts across all social strata. The belief also had representation in the rich
and the illiterates. Its pervasive spread was such that, even some paramedics
also did not believe in it. Because of the reluctance in accepting this fact,
HIV/AIDS gradually gained a major foothold in the country, with reported cases
in virtually all ages and in both sexes. Nigeria, which recorded her first case
several years after that of the USA, is making experts fear that she may soon
jump to yet unenviable top of the list of the countries with the highest
incidence of HIV/AIDS in the
world.
This
is because of the country's lackadaisical approach to taming the killer
monster.
The
enormity of the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria is made more poignant by the
obvious, seeming uncommitted attitude of the government to fight against
HIV/AIDS, and the continued deceptive attitude of Nigerians towards the
disease. Most times, people who are living with or have a full manifestation of
the disease in their physical bodies would want people to be deceived in
believing the fact that they are either being attacked spiritually or simply
the machinations of witchcraft and other evil people.
The Nigerian government on their part did little too
late to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS. There is lack of political support and
funding for the campaign. The Federal Ministry of Health, it seems, has limited
its involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS to tepid information
dissemination. There is no policy in place or any aggressive campaign to stem
the tide of the scourge. The Ministry of Health has also not been involved in
serious awareness campaign, neither has it helped to reduce the stigmatisation
attached to HIV/AIDS victims. The case of Otukpo local government area of Benue
State is germane.
HIV/AIDS incidence in Nigeria is not helping the
already battered economy. This is due to the startling revelation that
individuals within the age bracket of 20 to 39 years, account for 70 - 80 per
cent of the HIV/AIDS cases at various hospital in the country.
This is the most productive age bracket of the
working class population. With the deadly disease already aboard in Nigeria,
the country faces the grim prospect of losing a significant chunk of its
productive workforce to the AIDS epidemic. At the endangered end, is the vital
manpower to turn the sod.
According to some economic analyst, "The economy
is drained financially and otherwise. The labour force gets depleted because
some of those suffering from the disease, who, ordinarily would have made
meaningful contributions that will advance economic growth are rendered
unproductive due to periods of prolonged inactivity." Added to this is the
high cost of treatment, precious time and money which ordinarily would have
been channeled to productive ventures, go down the drain in a bid to get some
respite. Victims as it were, carry expensive bodies.
In the past few years, there has been a barrage of
claims by Nigerians to the cure of HIV/AIDS. Almost every other traditional
medicine practitioner comes up with a claim for the much - expected cure for
the dreaded virus.
The claims of orthodox and alternative medical
practitioners as well as religious bodies to the cure for AIDS may have taken
over necessary sensitisation of Nigerians on HIV/AIDS. Suddenly, Nigerians
albeit, a minority, are now conscious and careful about their daily
interactions; men now insist on the clippers being cleared with mentholated spirit
before their hair is cut, while some have their own clippers, and ladies go to
the saloon with their own manicure kits. The use of condoms especially among
commercial sex workers reports say has also increased.
Non-governmental organisations (NGO), have also
cashed in on the vacuum created by the government to take over the anti-AIDS
fight. Although some critics say many of these NGO are working for their purse
as they get attention of foreign bodies especially in the advanced countries of
the would - (USA, Britain, and Japan), who donate dollars generously to these
organisations.
The AIDS story in Nigeria is not a very interesting
one. It started slowly, reached a crescendo and has hung there; and, the
relevant authorities' lack of interest or focus has put a seal of urgency to
what many regard as a national tragedy.
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