AIDS Ambassador supports condom use
The latest information bulletin released by the Ministry of Health confirms that a growing number of people are becoming infected with the virus that causes AIDS. According to the report for the second quarter, a hundred and fourteen new HIV infections were reported between April and June, with thirty eight more people coming down with full blown AIDS during the same period. Chairperson of the National AIDS Commission, Dolores Balderamos Garcia, says while critics of one method used in fighting the disease will use the statistics to say the strategy is not working, the situation could be much, much worse.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Chairman, Natl. AIDS Commission
“If it is being said, you all are promoting condoms, but yet we see the course of the epidemic just going up and up and up, I don’t believe that that is supportable when you look at the evidence out there. We are seeing the course of the epidemic going up and up and up because of infections that took place many years ago. We may be seeing the trend going up and up and up for a while yet to come. But think of it in this way, suppose we were not getting the information out there and encouraging people to be faithful and to abstain, but also giving the information about the use of condoms. Suppose we were not doing that, all the implanting bodies of the commission, maybe we would be seeing even more infections.”
Patrick Jones, Reporting
Balderamos Garcia says the role of the Commission is not to take up an adversarial stance with anyone, but at the same time, as the coordinating body in the fight against the deadly disease, must make all weapons available on the battlefield.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia
“We are government appointed and we have a responsibility to let people know about all the means of prevention, not particularly promoting only one. And sometimes I feel a little disappointed of the take of some of the established churches. They seem to be taking the positing that all the implementing bodies of the National AIDS Commission are saying is use condoms, and that is not so. We have always stressed the “ABC’s” of prevention. And we have always felt that the best approach is abstinence. But we also have to give the information out there, be faithful to the partner and if you are going to engage in risky sexual behaviour, then there is the availability of condoms. We are not promoting it as such.”
With the Roman Catholic Church’s firm stand against condoms, the National AIDS Commission head says she is disappointed, since religious leaders carry a lot of influence with their faithful.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia
“I would want to believe that people are sitting up and taking notice. I mean, I certainly listen up and take great notice when Bishop Martin or Bishop Wright speaks because they profess what we are aspiring to. Where we fail, that is again because of human weakness. But I again wish to say that the churches need to get the message out more about the abstinence and the good behaviour. And again I repeat, we are not at cross purposes at all here, but we must make sure that all our Belizean people have the information, the knowledge, the life skills that are necessary to make the correct choices.”
“I think its unfortunate for any established church authority or religious denomination to demonise a group, any particular group. I won’t call the names right now of the groups, but I believe that we must live and let live. And as a matter of fact that is the continuing theme for the world AIDS week later this year. That we must live and let live, that we must end the stigma and discrimination and we must do what is enhancing and what is right and in the best interest of all our Belizean people.”
The grim statistics indicate that since 1986, two thousand two hundred and fifty people have been diagnosed with HIV. And with the reported cases believed to be just the tip of the iceberg, Garcia says things could get worse before they get better. Patrick Jones, for News 5.
During that same period a total of three hundred and ninety-nine people have died of AIDS in Belize.
