Every year, World AIDS Day is a time to reflect on both the successes we have had so far in the movement against HIV infection, and the challenges that we still face. It is an opportunity to draw the global community’s attention once more to the epidemic and to reorient our response. This year’s theme was “closing the gap” between access to care and those who need services. The World Health Organization stated:
“World AIDS Day 2014…is an opportunity to harness the power of social change to put people first and close the access gap. Ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 is possible, but only by closing the gap between people who have access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services and people who are being left behind. Closing the gap means empowering and enabling all people, everywhere, to access the services they need.”
To commemorate World AIDS Day, Hope Through Health’s Togolese partner AED-Lidaw hosted a fair with collaborators fhi360 and an Anti-AIDS high school club. After the welcoming remarks from AED’s Executive Director, the Anti-AIDS club performed a sketch about a teenager who discovers she is seropositive. The skit walked through scenes that audience members knew too well—the sister’s grief, her parents’ disbelief and anger, and her friends’ misconceptions. Everyone laughed at lines that they had heard before: “What do you mean I have HIV? But I go to church every Sunday!” The sketch ended with the reminder to “exclude HIV, not people living with HIV” and words of encouragement: “together, we can achieve our goal of zero new infections and zero cases of discrimination.”
Over 100 community members participated in AED’s all-day outdoor fair, with games such as sack racing, musical chairs, and rope climbing. Prizes were given to winners, including condoms, spaghetti, and soap. The most coveted prize was a packet of hair weaves. Almost as passionately as they competed in musical chairs, teams battled it out in a test-your-knowledge HIV/AIDS question and answer game. In conjunction with the lively fair, AED staff offered an all-day open door clinic for HIV and other STD testing, where our staff served over 60 people.
Looking ahead to 2015, Hope Through Health is not only focusing on access to care, but the quality of services we deliver. Our team in Togo is in the midst of preparing a Quality Improvement Plan, based on gaps in services in 2014. These indicators that will be collected quarterly through 2015 will help us do right by our patients, and deliver the care that—as humans—they deserve.
Members of a local high school’s Anti-AIDS club perform a skit as part of AED’s World AIDS Day Celebration
Community members play musical chairs as others enthusiastically look on
AED-Lidaw’s Executive Director, Christophe, demonstrates his superior rope-climbing abilities at the World AIDS Day Fair