Disseminating HIV and AIDS Education in Afghanistan
Sections of Afghanistan’s population are at increased risk for contracting HIV and AIDS, and a general lack of knowledge about the virus’ transmission and general blood safety practices is complicating the situation.
Available data shows that HIV is growing among the injectable drug user population. Risky behaviors, such as sharing needles and syringes, and buying sex and male-to-male sex without the use of condoms are contributing to the spread of the blood-borne disease, as well as other diseases such as hepatitis B and C. Recent data indicates that HIV is on the rise in Afghanistan and there are now 505 people registered HIV-positive. However, they are often unable to access treatment, care and support services.
ActionAid is working to educate Afghanis about the diseases, in part by educating influential community members who disseminate the information throughout their communities. For example, through a partnership with the Department of Women Affairs in Mazhar, ActionAid initiated a peer education approach for HIV awareness raising among women. The project has trained women from eight district shuras in Mazar-e-Sharif who in turn train women in their communities. In total, 240 women have been trained and 5,000 leaflets carrying HIV messages have been distributed.
ActionAid is also working with Afghanistan’s religious leaders in a bid head-off the spread of HIV/AIDS. We have found that Afghanistan’s religious leaders are enthusiastic about being involved in HIV-related trainings and disseminating health information to their community members.
Aside from a general lack of knowledge about the disease, stigma and discrimination associated with HIV is also fueling the epidemic and creating hurdles for people seeking to access HIV-prevention education or simply get tested for the virus. To address issue, ActionAid and CONCERN launched a joint venture that works with HIV-positive people to develop a research film, produce a training film and form HIV-positive support groups.
A doctor talks to a class of Afghan women about a health education poster in Khuram Wa Sarbagh, Samangan province.
Copyright © Jenny Matthews/ ActionAid
In August 2008, ActionAid also signed a contract with the government for implementing the “Targeted Intervention for Truckers” under the Ministry of Public Health’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Projects. The project, expected to run though February 2011, will provide HIV testing and treatment to truckers, as well as spread awareness of the virus throughout the trucking community.
Afghanistan’s Mullahs Working to Snub Out HIV and AIDS
Mohammad Salih is a 38-year-old religious man living in Rustaq City. He works as a day laborer and says that ActionAid has helped educate his village about HIV and the associated preventive measures.
Mohammad is a poor man with four daughters and three sons who worries daily about his family’s food security. Every morning when he leaves in search of work, he is unsure if his family will have enough to eat.
“Now I am happy that I use condom for family planning, because our Mullah told us about it, and through it I am not only limiting the number of my family, but also protect myself from getting any deadly disease,” Mohammad said.
All this happened after a Friday mass at his local village mosque, where the Mullah talked about HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and condom use.
“I knew about condom but I had never used it because I was told that it is prohibited in Islam,” Mohammad said.
ActionAid targeted Mullahs to help educate Afghanis about HIV and AIDS prevention because of their ability to wage social change. Mullahs received seven days of training about infectious diseases, after which one Mullah said “I am responsible as an influential member of the society and as an opinion maker. I feel happy to be involved in bringing in positive changes for my community.”
Learn More About ActionAid's Work with HIV and AIDS