HIV/Aids increasing in Jonglei
By Philip Thon Aleu
December 1, 2009 (BOR) – Tuesday morning activities in Bor town begin by matching groups commemorating world Aids Day but very few are informed about HIV/Aids infection. The trend of HIV/Aids infection is on rise in Jonglei, officials warn of the pandemic disease in the state capital, Bor.
Ms Onyango attributes the increase to limited resources, low knowledge of transmission and prevention, increased internal and cross border movement as well as cultural norms that favor transmission of the HIV virus. Widow inheritance, polygamy and the fading initiation marks are some traditional practices that are thought to be accelerating the HIV infection in Jonglei.
Of the over 500 people tested during the mobile voluntary counseling and testing exercise in Bor in the days leading the marking of the world Aids Day, at least 6 tested positive, according to the figures released by the state’s HIV/Aids directorate. The body concerned with HIV/Aids has a reason to keep on fighting the Aids prevalence by saying “the victory [in eradicating HIV infection] will be seen when few out of many tested…are positive.”
The finding by Aids directorate reveals that many cases of Aids are high in towns compared to rural areas. The numbers of Aids cases are high at the regional borders than the interior.
However, prevention of HIV/Aids in southern Sudan, given the tight believes in cultural norms is far from the reach. Though more awareness is needled in the region, local population is less informed.
Some believes that the disease is spread only through sex and thus solely associates any Aids infections with immorality – and in turn discouraging people from voluntary testing and counseling.
“Through going with women,” a schoolboy responded when asked whether he knows how Aids infects. According to this boy, once has to pray to God for help and that is why many people matched to the street with their crosses. Over 3,000 people in T-shirts bearing anti-Aids campaigns writing participated in the event in Bor town.
An estimated 3.1% of southern Sudanese are living positively with HIV/Aids, Lul Riek the director general of HIV/Aids in the ministry of health, Southern Sudan says.
Present at the rally today includes Governor Kuol Manyang Juuk who encouraged the venerable youths to be morally upright. Speaker of state legislative assembly Peter Chol Wal, State Ministers Agot Alier of health, Racheal Nyadak Paul of social development and several state MPs attended the mid-day ceremony at Bor Freedom Square.
(ST)