Protecting mothers, sisters & partners from HIV
05.09.2009 Phakamile Magamdela

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PHAKAMILE: I-SANAC yimanyano kaRhulumente nemibutho engekho phantsi kukaRhulumente enomdla wokulwisana nobhubhane onguGawulayo. Imibutho eliqela ezimeleyo kunye necandelo lamakhosikazi e-SANAC, isanda kubamba ingqungquthela ngaphantsi kwesihloko esithi, “HIV Prevention for Women and Girls Summit”, ebinenjongo yokushukuxa iindlela zokukhusela amakhosikazi neentombi ezisakhulayo, kwintsholongwane kaGawulayo i-HIV.

USihlalo wecandelo lamakhosikazi le-SANAC u-Nomfundo Eland, uthi kubantu abaliwaka ngemini abosuleleka nge-HIV kweli, uninzi lwabo ngabasetyhini. Uthi noxa kukho uxwebhu oluncumisayo, i-National Strategic Plan (NSP) elwisana noGawulayo nentsholongwane yakhe, amabhinqa asathwaxeka ngulobubhane. Kaloku enye yeenjongo zayo i-NSP kukwehlisa izinga lokusulelwa nge-HIV, ingakumbi kumakhosikazi neentombi ezisakhulayo. Ngoko ke icandelo le-SANAC libongoza imibutho ukuba ibe mxhelo’mnye kwelityeli, njengoba kwakwenziwe ukuze kufumaneke amachiza kaGawulayo.

NOMFUNDO ELAND: In South Africa more than 1 000 people are newly infected every day. The majority of those are women. We know that we have a beautiful document – the National Strategic Plan – which aims to halve those new infections by 2011, particularly for vulnerable groups like women and girls. The (HIV) epidemic in this country has the face of a woman. Advocacy towards prevention has been really weak. The women’s sector has actually called for the same energy and the same activism that has gone towards (HIV) treatment. 

PHAKAMILE: Isizathu sokuba lengqungquthela ibekho, ziziphumo ezixhalabisayo zophando lwakutsha nje. U-Eland uthi, uphando lubonisa ukuba iintombi eziphakathi kweminyaka eyi-25 neyi-29 zisecicini lokosulelwa nge-HIV, elingu-32,7 yeephesenti. Uthi ziyaziwa izinto ezibangela elizinga, njengesimo samakhosikazi eluntwini, ukuxhatshazwa, ukuba nabalingane abaninzi nokunqongophala kweekhondom zabasetyhini, nto leyo eyenza imfuneko yokhusela la mabhinqa. 

NOMFUNDO ELAND: According to the latest HSRC report, females from the ages of 25 and 29 have the highest (HIV) prevalence in South Africa at about 32,7 percent. The (general) national average is 10, 9 percent. We know the drivers of the epidemic such as multiple and concurrent partnerships. This shows that young females are the most at risk.

There is a need to protect them from the factors that put them at risk, issues such as the economic status of women, issues like gender-based violence, inaccessibility of prevention measures that are directed at women, like female condoms.  

PHAKAMILE: Owakwa Eland uthi, uMzantsi Afrika useke iinkqubo ezilungileyo, kodwa yinqaba ukuzifezekisa. Ukunqongophala kweekhondom zabasetyhini, yinto eyingxaki kakhulu, ngokutsho kwakhe, kungoku nje iikhondom zamadoda ekunikezelwa ngazo ziyi-450 000 000 xa kuthelekiswa nezabasetyhini eziyi-3 500 000. Uthi loo nto ichaza ukuba amabhinqa amane kufuneka abelane ngekhondom enye.   

NOMFUNDO ELAND: South Africa has great policies and yet failure to implement these policies undermines efforts in totality. Inequalities that exist in our strategies, such as the distribution of condoms, for instance about 3 500 000 condoms for women are distributed and 450 000 000 male condoms are distributed. When we look at the population of South Africa and you look at the number of women in South Africa, that means four women will be sharing one condom.

PHAKAMILE: Emela uRhulumente ngomba wokunqaba kweekhondom zabasetyhini, u-Eva Marumo, Intloko Yecandelo Lokuthintela i-HIV Nezifo Zangaphantsi kwiSebe Lezempilo, uthi ukunqongophala kwazo iikhondom zababhinqileyo, ayiyongxaki yoMzantsi Afrika kuphela, yaye uRhulumente ukhupha engxoweni eyedwa imali yokuthenga ezikhondom. Uphinde wathi, enye into kukuba uluntu lusayiqabuka le khondom yamabhinqa.

Eva Marumo: It’s not only South Africa. It’s globally. The female condom distribution is of a lesser number compared to male condoms. The department is buying female condoms from (its) own fiscal. There’s no donor supporting that, currently, and we know that this is a new product that was introduced in 1999. There is a long way to go because people are still discovering this (female condom).

PHAKAMILE: Akalikhuphanga latsola elokuba isizathu sokunqongophala kweekhondom zabasethyini kuxabisa kwazo, yaye uRhulumente akanamali eyaneleyo engxoweni, kodwa yinto etshiwo nguRhulumente weli mihla le.  Liyayiphikisa lengcamango itshantliziyo elilwela amalungelo amakhosikazi, u-Tian Johnson, uMgqugquzeli we-Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme (TVEP). U-Johnson lo uthi, yimfitshimfitshi into yokuba iikhondom zabasetyhini ziyaxabisa, uRhulumente kufuneka adale ukhuphiswano kwiinkampani ezivelisa ezikhondom. Uthi ukungafumaneki kwezikhondom kubonisa ukuvinjwa kwelungelo lamakhosikazi.

TIAN JOHNSON: The current situation pertaining to the inadequate access to the female condom in South Africa today is the violation of the rights of women and men of this country. We also realise that politics and skewed procedure put women’s lives on the line. They do this is in a continuous and systematic fashion. The tender for female condom supply has been awarded the “Female Health Company”. What does this mean?

That means because of the conditions in the tender there are no options for competition, there are no options for bringing prices down. That enables us to use the excuse that we have been using for far too long, the excuse that, female condoms are too expensive. That’s a false excuse. It’s an excuse with no basis and with no merit. 

PHAKAMILE: UNjingalwazi Helen Rees, onguMqondisi Ophezulu we-Reproductive Health Research Unit (RHRU), iziko lophando leDyunivesi yase Witwatersrand, uyangqina, ngelithi kukho ikhondom yamva nje yabasetyhini ekuthiwa yi-FC2 eveliswe ngendlela ebhetele, yomgangatho ophezulu kuneyokuqala, eyenza ukuba ixabiso lihle. Uthi namakhosikazi ayakwamkela ukuyisebenzisa i-FC2.  

PROF HELEN REESE: One is called the female condom number two (FC2), which is the better prototype of the first female condom that was available worldwide, and that is cheaper because it’s made from a different material to the first female condom. It’s also been modified so that it’s more acceptable to women, more comfortable and just generally more likely to be used. So, it’s an improved product. 

PHAKAMILE: Uthi uNjingalwazi uphando lwabo lubonisa ukuba amakhosikazi angakuvuyela ukufumaneka kweekhondom zabo, yaye nabalingane babo,  amadoda ukutsho, angayivuyela loo nto. Siso kanye esi sizathu, esibangela ukuba iikhondom zabasetyhini ezinexabiso eliphantsi ziveliswe. 

PROF HELEN REESE: What we know from our research is that many women would like to have the female condom, would use the female condom and that many men have also found it acceptable. For this reason, what has become the most important issue in the last few years is to try and develop cheaper female condoms that are even more acceptable to women and to their male partners.

PHAKAMILE: Izithethi kulengqungquthela zivumelene ngegam’elinye, ukuba abantu ababhinqileyo banomthwalo ongaphezulu eluntwini, njengokuxhatshazwa, kwaye i-HIV iyongeza kulomthwalo. Yilonto kufuneka kwenziwe iinzame zokubakhusela njengokunikezela ngeekhondom zamakhosikazi, ukwehlisa izinga lokusulelwa nge-HIV.