BACK FROM THE VERGE

People living with HIV have borne the brunt of all manner of injustices, accusations, denial of services, finger pointing and seclusion in Africa and more so in Kenya. There are many who have lost their jobs, have been denied access to their own property for the simple reason that their days are numbered among many other. HIV/AIDS has rendered any other explanation for loss weight obsolete. The moment you become thin in Africa for any other reason, you are immediately lumped into the community of 'the going'.

The disease has been awarded a wide array of monikers depending on the fear of the person or the people saying it. It has been variously called 'chairman' (i.e the chairman of all diseases), 'ticket', 'slow puncture', 'the big one', 'the destroyer' among others. I salute the many brave men, women and children who have carried the disease stoically to the very ultimate end knowing they owe it to the rest of humanity to keep the faith and the hope that no else will in future be left behind by the promise and hope of HIV treatment. Such people with positive attitude have come back from the verge of desperation, death and despair and led normal lives. I have seen HIV postive people move from total weakness to engage in disciplined medication, nutrition and behaviour, joined HIV/AIDS support groups and outgrow those support groups to lead normal lives.

I want to address a very funny category of people living with AIDS who have made it a habit to 'die with others' as it were. They prey on young girls in the false hope of sharing their viral load. Another category of employed people on knowing their HIV status take huge loans from banks and engage in reckless casual sex using the colossal sums of money as a bait to the less fortunate and poor people as a final suicide mission with the rest of humanity whose only sin is either being negative or just being human.

We must condemn these irresponsible people who are visiting untold suffering to very innocent women, men and children. When the story of HIV and AIDS is told after we invent its cure, this category of people who came back from the verge to 'bomb' the rest of humanity must be told with lessons that people should never again be allowed to knowingly infect others.

In a world where the gory pictures of HIV/AIDS victims we saw in the initial stages of HIV threat are nolonger an every day occurence, it prudent to take drugs, eat well, exercise, engage in other productive activities and live. The lifespan of a HIV infected person is now at par with that of persons considered normal nut who are also suffering from many other long term and life threatening illnesses like asthma, diabetes, hypertension among others.

If HIV positive people can live as those who are uninfected, even longer, why the desire to engage in acts of sexual subversion and espionage which only end up even reducing their life span?

We are slowly conquering the battle against HIV and AIDs and people must take courage and heart to live and take part in positively contributing towards the day we shall get HIV/AIDS treatment.

That is the challenge for all of us.