Thought Leadership

Activism at the International Conference of AIDS

2 Mins read

The International AIDS conferences and activism are inextricably linked. Many aspects of the pandemic and our response have been shaped by activists. The historical approach to infectious diseases prior to HIV was one of containment, quarantine and isolation…as we attempted to restrict transmission. But HIV, with its long incubation period, its prevalence initially in marginalised populations led to a movement that eventually resulted in a human rights approach to the response involving voluntary counselling, informed consent, involvement of civil society  etc. There are several heroes that defined the response and continue to do so. The work of activists makes the International AIDS conference different from any other medical conference you could possibly attend and makes us think beyond odds, ratios and confidence intervals…..a good thing!

Right from the opening ceremony of this conference, activists made their voices heard asking the G8 countries about their broken promises….

And you cannot be at this conference and miss Paula Akugizibwe of ARASA. (AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa)…passionate, knowledgeable and articulate…. 
Below are images from ARASA’s advocacy campaign on the proliferate spending of our “leaders” (we should do something similar for our senators in Nigeria)
Then there were the Catholics for Choice who insist that good Catholics use condoms…
And you could not miss Annie Lennox even if you tried…she brought all her stardom to bear drawing attention to AIDS, linking it all back to the effect Madiba had on her life…
The President and Secretary of the Treatment Action Campaign to whom we have a whole lot to be thankful for on the continent, for his sustained campaign enabling more people to have access to ARVs…
And if you want to learn about how counselling evolved with the pandemic in Africa and the engagement of the community and people living with HIV, then you have to study the The AIDS Support Organisation of Uganda. The founder, Noerine Kaleeba below…phenomenal woman.
…..and do you recognise these faces?
…or these ones?

…and finally no prizes for guessing the proudest country around these days 🙂 Don’t you envy them? Their Deputy Prime Minister spoke at the opening ceremony, and their Minister of Health was a plenary speaker. I know what you are thinking…but don’t bother asking. And you would think that our new Minister of Health would be here…but what can we say? 
http://www.nigeriahealthwatch.com/

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has…Margaret Mead

Related posts
Thought Leadership

Data is life: Achieving Nigeria's Digital-in-Health Approach

4 Mins read
Data and technology play a crucial role in the healthcare sector. The advent of technological innovations, including artificial intelligence, telemedicine, and mobile…
Thought Leadership

Navigating Nigeria’s Healthcare Landscape: Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategic Partnerships

4 Mins read
Chukwuemeka Oguanuo (Lead writer) Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with over 200 million people — a number that is projected to…
Thought Leadership

Developing a Climate Resilient WASH Policy in Nigeria Come Rain or Drought

3 Mins read
In 2018, the Federal Government of Nigeria developed a 13-year strategy to address the WASH crisis in the country. Five years post-implementation,…

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *