The economic repercussion of the pandemic at the macro-level has already been felt in the public and private sectors. It is costing individuals, families, businesses and the state millions. But while countless prevention measures continue to be instituted, it seems others are pulling strings to the other side, spreading the pandemic further, whether knowingly or unknowingly, through among many factors, unprotected sex with multiple partners and, simply put, leading careless lives.

The questions continue: why do people in Aids-ravaged areas continue to engage in unsafe sex, which they know could kill them and why do programs designed to prevent this practice so often fail?

Chiradzulu is one such district that had a record of increased cases of infected and affected, at a time when government was intensifying various prevention measures to reduce the rate of the pandemic. The more prevention measures were instituted, the more Aids became more apparent, killing productive people in the district and devastating the community.

In fact, the infected levels were so high and alarming even university students and international bodies were using the community for case studies of the HIV pandemic. According to a 2004 integrated household surveillance survey, Chiradzulu registered a high prevalence rate of approximately 15.1 percent, which was above the then national prevalence rate of 14.4 percent.

The 2006 and 2007 HIV testing week results also showed that out of the population that went for HIV testing, 16.5 and 12.5 percent tested positive, an indicator of high prevalence rate and most of these were women. But this was not to last for too long. A lot of organizations saw the need to take a different approach to this fight, and so they started the fight.

Intervention

At this time in 2005, when Chiradzulu was worst hit by Aids, Oxfam is such one organization that decided to zero in on the district, hoping to turn around the situation and bring back lost hope. According to the survey, HIV/Aids interventions being implemented by Oxfam and other NGOs has shown considerable progress by targeting all sectors of people in the district.

It started slowly in a number of villages and today it is working in 81 villages in the district, training caregivers of Aids patients, training older orphans in vocational skills, taking care of the sick and the elderly, conducting awareness campaigns, establishing orphan centres and victim support units, providing food, drug kits and bicycle ambulances.

The key to their success has been closeness. To ensure that these interventions bear fruits, Oxfam closely works with communities, listening to their needs, providing them with resources and monitoring the progress and impact of those programmes. Recently Oxfam GB’s Chief Executive Barbara Stocking visited the district to appreciate the plight of communities in the district in the Aids fight and see for herself, the impact of projects her organization is carrying out.

Stocking visited the projects in John Lulanga village where through a Chilembwe CBO, communities openly expressed satisfaction with projects by the organization. She said she was happy that the organization was getting all necessary cooperation from all stakeholders involved particularly communities, to enable its projects reach all the intended targets.

To ensure that the programmes are practical, Oxfam’s approach to Aids programmes in the district is very interactive such that communities are able to express their aspirations, hopes and even challenges.

Like many other institutions fighting the pandemic, Oxfam has been in the forefront ensuring that communities are aware of the disease and know how to avoid being infected.

Results

Whether due to the fear of losing more loved ones or just the mere burden the disease has caused, people of Chiradzulu have fought hard to ensure that the prevalence rate is reduced. The news has been good. The district has experienced a considerable drop in Aids cases, as seen in the reduction of prevalence rate.

No wonder, Stocking who was visiting Malawi for the first time was overwhelmed with the level of commitment demonstrated by Malawians, particularly in the district in fighting HIV/Aids and poverty.

“I am personally overwhelmed with the commitment demonstrated by communities here,” she said. ‘Most of them are giving support to the elderly, the sick, the vulnerable and yet without expecting anything in return and I find this totally amazing.

“This will compel us to do more for millions of Malawians in need of food, clothing, shelter, education and any kind of humanitarian aid, as part of our campaign to better lives of rural people,” continued Stocking.

Today the district has almost 140 registered CBO’s and support groups, which are implementing HIV/Aids activities in a number of thematic areas including behavioural change and condom use promotion.

Director of Planning and Development for Chiradzulu, Emmanuel Bulukutu revealed that the district has been able to significantly reduce the rate of infection due to various interventions by stakeholders including Oxfam. He pointed out that NGO’s working in the district had made a huge difference in people’s lives particularly at local level and that a lot of projects to help tackle Aids-related problems were crucial.

“HIV/Aids, has for so long affected the socio-economic situation of this district as it has depleted skilled and experienced workers, but with the various interventions in place, we can clearly see the new direction we are taking, a direction of hope and courage,” said Bulukutu.

He said the district was working hard in various prevention measures to ensure that prevalence rate is reduced from the current 21 percent to 10 percent by 2011.

A decisive policy of action is still needed at this stage to minimize the negative effects of the AIDS pandemic on Malawi’s socio-economy. Although fighting HIV/Aids has become a part of our lives, the fight is far from over.