Monday, 21 September 2009
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FIJI PEACEKEEPERS TOP HIV STD CARRIERS
According to the World Health Organization, there were officially 229 HIV positive persons in their 20's in our country. With a window of five to 10 years from the time of infection to detection, it is clear that many are becoming infected while still in their teens.
Official estimate is that around 860 persons are living with HIV/AIDS in Fiji and that in any one year there are also 885 confirmed cases of persons diagnosed with Gonorrhea and 870 with Syphilis.
The most crucial factor however which is not explicitly stated in the World Health Organization findings is that the majority of those diagnosed as the primary carrier of STD/HIV were from the Fiji Military Forces steadily brought into the country when soldiers have returned home from their Peacekeeping Missions. This is not a new problem, but a blind eye has continued to not address the issue in our hush hush society.
Although the Ministry of Health underwent a health reform programme in 1999-2003, funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), all the hard work and donor funding targeted at strengthening our health care structure and systems in four areas namely, good governance, public health and infrastructure, clinical services, and health systems has literally gone down the drain since the Frank Bainimarama's coup.
HIV/AIDS laboratory testing in Fiji has undergone assessment and validation testing and has commenced confirmatory testing under the guidance of the National Reference Laboratory (Melbourne, Australia)-WHO Collaborating Centre for HIV/AIDS and funding from the Global Fund. Testing will be for diagnosis, surveillance and monitoring of patients on antiretroviral treatment.
Unlike Peacekeeping Forces from other Nations, Our Fiji Military Forces do not have a policy on HIV Prevention and Behavior Change in International Military Populations which curriculum specifically addresses the training needs of UN and regional peacekeeping forces, because quite simply, just like their Navy leader, they do not care for our women and children.
http://www.wpro.who.int/countries/2008/fij/
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