As part of the discussion around re-prioritising the integration of HIV and AIDS into the curriculum within the African context, Unisa stakeholders expressed that the curriculum should include issues that speak to the students. The two-day workshop held on 20 and 21 February was part of the HIV, Social Diversity and Inclusion Curriculum Integration Project headed by Leon Roets, a Sociology Lecturer at Unisa who also convenes the Postgraduate Programme of Social and Behaviour Studies around HIV/AIDS.
Speaking at the workshop, Roets urged organisations to set up HIV health and wellness programmes because there are human rights factors involved and socio-economic impacts that may affect the sustainability of businesses, such as the loss of staff and skills, loss of production and absenteeism. "The HIV/AIDS issue is a more complex phenomenon than just a pure medical or health issue and needs to be unpacked in that intersectionality with diversity. When integrating HIV/AIDS into the curriculum, we need to promote inclusion and help those with HIV to empower themselves and link them to supportive structures."
The main purpose of the project is to collaborate, coordinate and facilitate the integration of social diversity and justice into all curricula as well as academic processes and strategies towards social tolerance and acceptance. The objectives, among others, are to facilitate student involvement and participation in curriculum integration and transformation, as well as to continuously evaluate successful curriculum integration of HIV and social diversity. Some of the stakeholders that attended included Unisa students and staff, LifeLine SA and the Tshwane Multi-Sector AIDS Management Unit.
According to Roets, the relevance of integrating HIV/AIDS into the curriculum within the African context is that the AIDS pandemic in Africa is more than just a biomedical disease, as it impacts directly on sustainable development and the quality of life of the people. The pandemic is now more than four decades old and in most African countries the prevalence rates are either stabilising or even reducing. However, the HIV incident rates (daily new infections) are significantly high in Southern Africa, especially among the youth and young adults up to the age of 35. Most African societies use sarcastic and stigmatic words to describe the pandemic. Therefore, Roets believes that the said curriculum should incorporate multi-lingualism so that Africans understand the pandemic in their mother tongue.
"In South Africa we have an average of 30% prevalence among girls and young women of these age groups. They are also most affected due to their socio-economic vulnerability as well as often carrying the socio-psychological burden of the pandemic. Other socio-economic development challenges include gender inequality, poverty, unemployment and violence. In the last few years we have over-depended on biomedical interventions like ARTs, even for prevention, yet these new infections are increasing. This requires us to have an in-depth discussion on finding solutions that address the social, behavioural and structural barriers of HIV prevention within a local and African context. There is a need to promote indigenous knowledge systems and community care in order to curb the spreading of HIV infections among young people, including our students," said Roets.
During the workshop, attendees were divided into groups where they discussed the impact that HIV and AIDS had had in their lives. Each person shared their experience and attendees shared the same view that most HIV-positive individuals were not necessarily killed by the pandemic, but by being in denial, rejected and stigmatised by society. LifeLine SA Counsellor Lemmy Maswanganyi expressed that there is still lack of knowledge in communities. For example, people do not know the right time to start taking treatment. She said the stigma starts at government clinics where HIV-positive people are classified by the colour of their files and the queues they stand in. Her colleague Mpho Kgame added that it is not only the society that needs information and knowledge about HIV but counsellors too. She elaborated that if a person tests positive and the counsellor is not informed or does not know how to deal with the situation, the patient will leave the clinic depressed.
One of the students infected with HIV also shared her lived experience. She said most patients thought that traditional and religious material would heal them. She urges HIV patients to not be in denial, to take their treatment and live a healthy lifestyle. She attested to the fact that when she goes for her treatment, patients are classified by the colour of their files and one of the nurses at the clinic where she collects her medication commented that "that file (HIV file) does not suit you". She expressed that HIV-positive people are expected to look a specific way and not be beautiful.
Roets also expressed concern that Africa is still unable to bridge the gap between the traditional healing system and the modern healing system. He said our health system itself lacks information. He reminded universities that students should come first and their voices should be heard, otherwise universities do not have reasons to exist. The group of panellists expressed the view that it is important to integrate HIV/AIDS into the curriculum because generations to come need the information and knowledge in order to deal better with the pandemic.
* By Nancy Legodi, Acting Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement
Publish date: 2020-02-26 00:00:00.0