HIV-related stigma still rife in Zimbabwe

Lazarus Sauti

A report to be released next month by the Zimbabwe National Network of People living with HIV and Aids (ZNNP+) has shown that stigmatisation of people infected with the virus is still prevalent in the country, at above 65 percent.

Speaking at a Zimbabwe HIV, TB and human rights training and advocacy meeting for community health volunteers in Masvingo recently, ZNNP+ communications and advocacy officer, Edmore Mutimodyo, said discrimination is prevalent at workplaces, in families as well as other social spaces.

“HIV-related stigma and discrimination has reached above 65 percent levels as experienced by people living with HIV late last year and the forms of stigma range from exclusion from social gatherings, discrimination by partners, exclusion from family activities, dismissal or suspension from work or educational institutions and exclusion from religious activities or places of worship,” he said.

SafAids country training, advocacy and programmes co-ordinator Adolf Mavheneke admits HIV-related stigma is still rife in the country and it affects other key populations like gays, lesbians and sex workers.

“Sex workers (73.7 percent) and lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender and intersexed (87.5 percent) people experience the worst of all forms of stigma and discrimination, which included police harassment and violence by their clients,” he said.

Mavheneke added that social prejudice, intolerance, and lack of understanding of gender diversity was at the centre of HIV and TB related stigma and discrimination and consequent denial of health services among key populations.

Star Tarumbiswa, a certified social worker, added: “HIV and TB-related stigma hinder people living with HIV from accessing HIV and TB prevention, treatment and care support services and it hinders those with the virus from telling their partners about their status.

“Stigma and discrimination increases their vulnerability to physical violence; and it affects people’s ability to earn a living, making it even more difficult for them to lift themselves out of poverty,” she said.

Tarumbiswa also noted that those who stigmatise people living with HIV falsely believe that the virus is highly contagious and that they could easily become infected.

She asserted that due to stigma, people living with the virus are also denied the right to inherit property on perception that they are destined to die so.

Further, they are tagged as irresponsible, nicknamed, rendered useless in society and sometimes rejected by their family members.

The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MISC) 2014 concurs.

“Aids related stigma and discrimination refers to the prejudice, negative attitudes, abuse and maltreatment of people living with HIV and Aids.

“These negative attitudes result in those living with the disease being shunned by family, peers and the wider community,” notes the MISC, adding that “stigma also leads to poor treatment in healthcare and education settings, erosion of rights, psychological damage and could negatively affect the success of HIV testing and treatment.”

Simbarashe Namusi, a human rights expert, says there is a direct causal relationship between traditional and cultural practices and HIV-related stigma.

“Remember HIV and Aids are referred to both as shuramatongo (a disease that wipes out families/households) in Shona. The perception is that being HIV positive is a death sentence. This results in HIV positive people being stigmatised,” he said.   

Because of this and other reasons, Namusi asserts that HIV-related stigma is retarding the fight against the condition and an as a result, more needs to be done to fight against stigma and discrimination.

“It is so dangerous for people infected by HIV not to come out and give this information. This simply means that such people will not even get access to treatment through programmes in place to fight HIV,” he said, adding that “we have not been able to demystify HIV to the point where we understand it as an ordinary health condition.”

Consequently, he said, more awareness should be created around HIV starting even as early as preschool.

“People living with HIV and Aids need to be supported not stigmatised. Stigma fixes them in a very difficult position. To protect them, more awareness needs to be created around HIV and Aids,” said Namusi, urging stakeholder in the health sector to raise awareness starting as early as preschool.

Tonderai Chiduku, advocacy coordinator for the ZNNP+ believes some church leaders are fueling stigma and discrimination in the country.

He thus calls on church leaders and other institutions to view HIV as a health and not moral issue so as to eradicate stigma associated with the condition.

“We need to put in place some form of dialogue with the church and discuss these concerns because they hamper access to treatment,” he said.

Chiduku added that people should change their attitudes towards people living with HIV and Aids. Instead of playing the blame game, he urges people to play the challenge attitudes game.