Tribute to a sister soldier
My best friend Lungi Mazibuko has just died from Aids-related illness,
aged 32. She was an activist, a daughter of African soil, a champion of change,
a mother of three, a sister and a daughter.
She died with no support or treatment. No one knocked at her door to offer
love or care and no one gave comfort to her family. Yet this was in my community,
South Africa, a country with HIV success stories, yet an activist still died
with no treatment and care.
Will her three girls now just become statistics in power point presentations
for our funding proposals? Will their grandmother cope with their care? It
makes me wonder what will happen to my own son.
I hope Lungi’s funeral does not become the focus of an Aids campaign
where all the NGOs claim how much they cared for and respected her, because
this would not be true. She died with bed sores and thrush in her mouth. And
no government official should be allowed to attend her funeral and make claims
about Lungi's life and death, as they will be lying. They gave her no right
to life and dignity, and took away her constitutional right to health care.
Please join me as I mourn my friend and honour the work she has done for the
world and for women like myself. RIP sister soldier
Masi cowper, norfolk
Blood brothers
Your article (PN131) re the 1,246 haemophiliacs infected in the 1980s
does not mention the non-haemophiliacs infected by blood transfusions and
blood products.
Even now, people who had blood transfusions or blood products in the early
1980s are still being diagnosed. The Government has never contacted those
given infected blood. They simply wait for people to be diagnosed and for
the patient to then prove how they were infected.
Anyone who has had several short-term partners may never be able to prove
their case.
How many have died without ever knowing how they were infected? How many have
unknowingly passed the infection on to their partners and/or children? Read
their stories at www.taintedblood.info
Name and address supplied
Eye eye
I'm trying to find out if anyone out there who's HIV positive has
ever had laser eye surgery to correct short or long sightedness. I was refused
surgery by two different companies on the grounds that the risk of infection
after surgery for someone with HIV would be too high. Naturally, I was disheartened
and surprised to hear this. I would like to communicate with someone who's
had it done to find out about their experiences and whether it was successful.
Please contact me via PN
David
Community spirit
I was surprised and delighted to be awarded a community place at
the recent 13th British HIV Association (BHIVA) conference in Edinburgh. I
had assumed community places would be awarded to important and well-known
people, but I work for a small charity and am not remotely well known.
I found the conference invaluable; the medical sessions were enlightening
and I will be transferring much of my new knowledge to our service users.
The truly outstanding aspect was the opportunity to meet many other people
from the HIV field and particularly from the HIV community. I met such lovely
people and learnt so much. I would like to thank everybody involved with organising
and contributing to BHIVA and in particular for providing those invaluable
community places.
Ms Tina Bou-Sreih, Hillingdon Aids Response Trust
Come together
Thanks for sending me Positive Nation, it is a wonderful magazine.
I am involved in a programme called TCE (Total Control of the Epidemic) in
Namibia.
I find it interesting and educational to use articles from the magazine during
our weekly meeting with our various support groups for those infected and
affected by HIV. We recently discussed the Disclosure Dilemma article (PN130)
and were fascinated to find out what others feel about disclosing their status.
We concluded those who have publicly revealed their status are more physiologically
healthy. Most of our group members are open about their status.
Joseph Shapaka, DAPP TCE Namibia jshumana@mweb.co.za
The White stuff
I have just read Martin Flynn’s wonderful article on Edmund
White (PN132).
I wanted to congratulate him on producing such a well written, thought provoking
and fascinating article. I grew up reading White’s books and was so
intrigued to hear what he was up to nowadays. Thank you for such an interesting,
thoughtful and informative article.
Steve Slack, Director, Centre for HIV and sexual health, Sheffield
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