FOURTH DIMENSION: HIV and the moral framework

The challenge presented by HIV/AIDS is still life threatening and it is getting more complex. With the HIV AIDS prevalence up at 7.3 per cent from 6.3 per cent, six years ago; coupled with an average annual increase of 120,000 new infections since 2009, the nation is headed to a steep cliff. And we need to remember we are talking about people and not simply statistics. The increase in infections and prevalence rates is worrying, but also telling of some assumptions that need to be addressed.

We have assumed that the population is well informed about the transmission channels. We have assumed that the population has the moral strength to make informed decisions that will reject behaviour that exposes it to the infection. More so, the population has lost the fear of getting the infection. We have assumed that access to treatment and better health diets will reduce the infection rate. Instead people are taking advantage of the better physical appearance and the right to none disclosure to live as though no danger is lurking.

The population has lost the moral strength to align behaviour to less risky lifestyles. Little attention is paid to the warnings given through the diminishing channels of public education. In the quest for an HIV- free world, we must resurface the power of the morals to reverse the trend. It’s the moral component in the fight that will put out the venom of the HIV virus. To engage in this war without morals is what Ecclesiastes calls chasing after the wind. To eradicate the stigmatisation of the people living with the HIV virus requires a fresh appeal to the compassion of the people that are in contact with those who are infected.

To eradicate the wrong choices made by those who do so in spite of the levels of awareness created requires strengthening of the moral muscle to stick to risk reducing behaviour and risk eradication medical practices. No one can ever force one to turn away from drunkenness or the sexual network web. No one can ever force the medical practitioners to follow through to the precautions needed to prevent new infections. It is a moral choice that will determine the success or failure of these desired practices. The true moral framework would also restore our focus on all the necessary fronts of the war.

In the attempt to steer away from the prevention method of abstinence advocated by the alleged moralists, the leaders went on a one subtle trail of treatment and promotion of human rights. To emphasize the prevention of mother to child transmission without prevention of infection of the mother leaves lots of room for emergence of new challenges. To ask people to get off the network without asking them never to get onto the network again opens the floodgates of new infections.The advocates for the moral framework must be openly embraced as legitimate and genuine contributors to the finding of the much needed solution.