Today is World AIDS Day so I have chosen to focus on those African blogs that have written about HIV/AIDS from a range of perspectives.

Feminist African Sister – (http://feministafricansisters.blogspot.com/2005/11/bush-has-gone-too-far...) criticises George Bush, who has extended the “GAG” rule which prevents funding from the US to any NGO that “perform abortions in cases other than a threat to the woman’s life, rape or incest; provide counselling and referral for abortion; or lobby to make abortion legal or more available in their country.”

Thus Bush has “Essentially, locking out large numbers of organizations in Kenya and structures, which could provide useful access to target communities at the highest risk i.e. women in the 15-24 age bracket”. The GAG rule has also been applied in Uganda and in Ghana where 647,000 “Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana clients will lose access to family planning services, counselling, and HIV/AIDS prevention education.” This is a slap in the face to the millions who are HIV+ or have AIDS in Africa and makes a mockery of the prevention campaigns which are designed so we can begin to see a reduction rather than increase in the numbers affected by this illness.

Soul on Ice - Soul on Ice (http://obifromsouthlondon.blogspot.com/2005/11/aids-in-africaaggression....) writes that out of some 4.7 million HIV+ Africans only a mere 500,000 are presently receiving ARV drugs. He expresses his anger which is personalised as he explains how he lost his uncle’s family to the illness.

“I lost my uncle and his family some years ago to the dreaded disease and this put it all in perspective for me. Prior to that I'd viewed it as something that happens to other people. Damn I'd even doubted its existence like agnostics. It's like faced with such horrible things you switch to denial mode. And here we are worrying about more money for material stuff and an African woman in Malawi has to travel 20 miles once a week to pick up tablets that will keep her alive to give her five kids a chance in life. Fuck the West for keeping the beautiful continent poor and defenceless. Stupid patents on life saving drugs. And they want to moan about terrorists.”

Malawian blogger, afrika-aphukira - Afrika-aphukira (http://mlauzi.blogspot.com/2005/11/yesterday-and-global-hivaids-discours...) writes about the film “Yesterday”, a story about a South African couple who are HIV-positive. The film, which is an HBO (US based TV station) production, interestingly is in Zulu with English subtitles.

“The pride and depth of an African language in driving such a powerful social message should make African elites and policymakers think twice about their insistence on making English a language used by a tiny fraction of the population, the lingua franca of policy, business, politics, administration, and education.”

He does however have some criticisms of the film, which portrays Africans as being largely ignorant of the disease and fails to deal with issues such as racism and the capitalist mining industry.

“The movie leaves unmentioned issues such as the racist, apartheid era bio-war research suspected to have been aimed at blacks, dismissed as a conspiracy theory by dominant, mainstream views. Also unmentioned is the role played by the capitalist mining industry which sequestered male miners in hostels, away from their wives and families for months or years on end, a situation that facilitated the spread of HIV/AIDS. Thus the dominant ideologies keep framing the HIV-AIDS debate in the same terms of individual responsibility, ordinary villagers as ignorant and needing ‘education’, and Africans as more promiscuous than the rest of humanity.”

Eseme Udoekong's Africa - Eseme Udoekong's Africa (http://www.bbc.co.uk/africalives/myafrica/blogs/005009) focuses on AIDS from the perspective of alternative healing including “faith healing” in the Christian church.

“Now let's get back to the point of this discussion. For example, I believe in medication (orthodox/herbal) and divine healing, but I don't worship either as god. At times when I'm sick he that is in me can say, 'just pray and I pray'. Or 'take only water' or 'go to the hospital'. All that it takes me to be healed is obedience to his bidding. You cannot tell me that unless I see the Doctor I can't be healed when I have been enjoying such divine healing benevolence. It may be so or otherwise to other people, depending on one's mind set.”

Black Looks - Black Looks (http://okrasoup.typepad.com/black_looks/2005/11/personal_story_.html) posts an interview she had with a woman who is HIV positive but lives in Europe (UK).

“For those of us who were diagnosed such a long time ago and are still alive - if I was in Africa I would have been dead a long time ago - we are the ‘lucky ones’, those living in Britain or the West. But the problem is we were told we were dying and then after about 10 or 15 years of ‘dying’ the doctors suddenly changed their story and said you are not dying anymore take these pills and get on with your life. And for many of us this has been very difficult. They try to equate having HIV nowadays in the West with medication, as being just like having any other kind of chronic illness like diabetes. But it will never be the same. Because if I had diabetes I wouldn't be concerned about revealing my identity and nationality, I wouldn't be afraid of my neighbours or employers knowing about my illness. Because HIV will never loose the shame and stigma that has always been attached to it. The pain and despair never goes away – it’s the worst thing that ever happened to me. I hate it. I know there are people who are HIV+ who are much worse off than me but I feel like the last 20 years I have lived HIV and little else - even though I am not dead in some ways I am.”

Kid’s Doc in Jos - Kid's Doc in Jos (http://www.ecwaevangel.org/blog/faith_71) based in Jos, Nigeria, writes about two of his patients, 15 month twins Faith and Favour, who are HIV positive. He writes that Faith is now sick with pneumonia and has lost a lot of weight.

“I admitted him (which we could do only because we have some supporters who have given money to help such children), ordered a bunch of labs and a bunch of medicines. Tomorrow Barb will make a care package of some oranges, yoghurt, cookies, and so on.”

* Sokari Ekine produces the blog Black Looks, http://okrasoup.typepad.com/black_looks

* Please send comments to [email protected]