HIV/AIDS IN MALAWI

The first HIV/AIDS incidence was reported in the year 1985 and since that time 650,000 people have died due to this disease. [www.avert.org/aids-malawi.htm]

Out of a population of 12 million, almost 1 million people in Malawi were living with HIV by the end of 2007. AIDS continues to be responsible for the deaths of around 10 people every hour and is the leading cause of death amongst adults in Malawi - this is a major factor in the country’s low life expectancy of just 42 years.

One of the biggest challenges currently facing Malawi is the lack of human resources available within the country. Malawi has just one doctor per 100,000 people – one of the lowest levels in the world.  Drugs are available but there are not enough medical staff to administer them.

Stolen childhoods

The vulnerability of AIDS orphans starts well before the death of their parents. They often have to care for their ailing parents at an early age, and then have to deal with the unimaginable trauma of watching them die.

This is Tula’s story:

Hastings and Suzen Zidana have personally experienced the devastating effects of HIVAIDS in their own community. Whilst working with vulnerable young people in their home church in Zomba, they met one young girl called Tula.

At the age of twelve she was caring for her dying Mother and her two younger brothers. With no money coming into the family it became her responsibility to provide for the family. Waking at 5am, she would set off to fetch fire wood and search for food. Returning home some three hours later she would then attend to her Mother, who being in the last stages of AIDS needed feeding, bathing and personal care. When her mother died, Tula was left alone to care for her brothers and her only remaining relative, her 80 year old Grandmother. Hastings and Suzen were able to help Tula, her Grandma and brothers, by providing food, some clothing and shoes. Tula found the love and support she desperately needed.

There is hope......

Only 2% of children aged 5-14 are infected with HIV. If action is taken now to provide children with education, nutrition, healthcare and emotional support, then the younger generation of Malawi could begin to turn the tide on this devastating disease.

It is likely that 20% of them will be infected by HIV in adulthood unless they are given access to the services they vitally need ….