Social stigma makes people afraid to go for tests

Ignorance about many aspects of HIV is causing many Africans to lose their livelihoods because company managers believe they are a health risk, South African High Court justice Edwin Cameron told the BBC World Service's Africa Live programme.

And there were also warnings that there is such social stigma attached to Aids in many parts of the continent that people are afraid to get themselves tested for the virus - putting themselves and others at much greater risk.

"Ignorance underlies so much of the unfairness and irrationality," Justice Cameron said.

"It's unfair because it's not based on any rational thing about Aids and HIV.

"Unless we approach this problem as Africans throughout the continent, with reason and fairness, we're not going to be able to deal with it properly."

Misconception

A contributor to Africa Live said that one restaurant in Uganda had ordered all its workers to go for an HIV test. Those subsequently found to have the virus were forced to leave.

Another, Sarah Olga - who now works for Population Services International in Nairobi - said she had been dismissed from her job as a auxiliary nurse after contracting the virus from her husband.

You do not need to dismiss a healthcare worker, because there is no risk of transmission from the healthcare worker to the patient Justice Cameron Does Aids affect your job?

"I disclosed my status to one of the nurses. He took the matter to the boss. From there I was stigmatised.

"He told me that now you are positive, you cannot attend to sick people."

Justice Cameron said that Ms Olga was the victim of a classic Aids misconception - that people in the medical profession are a risk to others.

It was this sort of irrational discrimination that needed to be tackled, he added.

"You do not need to dismiss a healthcare worker, because there is no risk of transmission from the healthcare worker to the patient."

The fear of being fired for having Aids - or of the social exclusion attached to HIV - is leading many Africans to put off having a test for the virus.

But this is having massive negative effects.

Many die prematurely, as they do not access the anti-retroviral drugs that could prolong their life.

"If you know your status you are able to seek help," said Julia Sakodimenza, who runs the Living Positively programme in Botswana that helps people to admit they have Aids.

"For example, when we went to see one woman the first time, she couldn't even walk.

"She was lean, she was very sick, and she was ready to die.

"We talked to her, we counselled her, we gave her some food, and we encouraged her to go to the hospital."

When they returned, she was a fully mobile, well-built woman again.

Ms Sakodimenza added that it is equally important that a person knows they are HIV positive to avoid them spreading the virus.

"When you know your status you are able to control it... you are able to control it and save life," she said.