Kindling a flame of hope for the AIDS-affected

This morning we visited the Kanyama Clinic located on the outskirts of Lusaka, along with Collins of WFP and Mr. Kapayat of CIDRZ, an NGO working in coordination with the Ministry of Health, Government of Zambia for AIDS prevention, treatment and care of HIV positive patients.

The objective was to get insight into the AIDS pandemic in the severely affected provinces of Zambia and what measures are currently in place to tackle this. We learn that CIDRZ works in close coordination with Government Health officials at the clinic and also in the field outside. They liaison with the community people and encourage them to come forward for early detection of HIV, subsequent ART (anti-retroviral treatment), care, food & nutrition for the vulnerable and needy. CIDRZ measures its success rate by the retention rate of AIDS patients who are under ART so that more people can get treated at he earliest symptoms and with the 1st / 2nd line of treatment since treatment costs increase phenomenally with higher lines of treatment.

CIDRZ had a humble beginning about a decade ago as a research-outfit for infectious diseases like TB, AIDS etc and was initiated by US-based doctors. It grew into a full-fledged organization primarily looking into AIDS and other related illnesses and their therapeutic treatment, care for HIV people and is presently active in four provinces of Zambia which have higher incidence of AIDS-afflicted population. WFP helps provide food ration and nutrient supplement to AIDS patients through CIDRZ.

We found Kanyama clinic spacious and neatly managed health centre which attends to about 400 AIDS patients daily, who come here for their monthly dosage of ART, monthly family ration (a combination of maize, pulses, cooking oil and HEPS) or even individual-specific food supplement as prescribed by the attending doctor.

Though clients’ number coming to Kanyama Clinic increases by an average of 15 HIV-affected per day however, CIDRZ is bringing about a perceptible change in the outlook of people on how they view AIDS, its prevention, education about early diagnosis and treatment and thus people, here, are not attaching AIDS the stigma (as was the case earlier) and are becoming open to fighting the menace. And in therein lies the success of CIDRZ’s efforts.