Check out the latest blog from Ailie Judd, the winner of the Vodafone: World of Difference competition. In her latest entry Ailie talks about her work for Azafady and shares some shocking stories about poverty in Madagascar.

4 weeks to go and the days seem to be slipping past as I prepare for my return to Madagascar. This week I have been gathering information and additional ideas for my HIV prevention programme with pregnant women.  I have received a great deal of support from the SOPHIA Forum, the UK Steering Committee for the Global Coalition of Women and AIDS and from DR Alice Welbourn who designed the internationally recognised HIV training programme, Stepping Stones. Receiving such amazing support has really reminded me of the bigger picture of HIV, the international community that I am part of and the importance of sharing information to ensure the fight against HIV is unified.

Photo:  Ed Kashi www.edkashi.com

Over the next few weeks I want to build a picture of Madagascar, particularly the south and the town of Fort Dauphin where I work, to explain why it is at risk of an HIV epidemic and following in the footsteps of other African Nations. Last week I gave a brief overview of the current political situation in Madagascar and what impact this is having on the economy. As one of the poorest countries in the world, the political crisis is simply exemplifying the already dire social and environmental problems. With 85.5% of the country already living on less than $2 a day, the media have reported an increase of children dropping out of school to work and help their family earn an income. As a result of this extreme poverty, the World Food Programme predicts that 50% of children under the age of three suffer growth problems due to a chronically inadequate diet.

As well as fast depleting natural resources, Madagascar lacks basic water and sanitation systems, so less than half the population has access to clean drinking water. In places like Fort Dauphin beaches or grassy spaces surround the local lakes are still frequently used as sites for public defecation which is why Azafady initiated a comprehensive health and sanitation programme.  Diseases such as malaria, bilharzia, typhoid and respiratory diseases are widespread and the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) such as gonorrhoea and syphilis are among the highest in the world. Vaginal STD’s in Fort Dauphin are predicted by local doctors to be as high as 40%. STD rates are usually seen as an indicator for HIV, as it demonstrates the rate of unprotected sexual behaviour and also makes people biologically more vulnerable to contracting the virus.

In Fort Dauphin the Government HIV/AIDS Task Force has completely collapsed due to the political crisis and so leadership directing the response to the HIV epidemic has disintegrated. With this HIV testing has dropped in the local hospital from 200 people a month to 18. This makes it extremely difficult to track the spread of the virus and predict the true rate of prevalence. Azafady is the only organisation doing a public HIV and STD awareness campaign in the town and for the benefits of the people of Madagascar we are staying committed to this cause and leading others to do the same.

Ailie Judd

If you would like to know more please follow the links:

Azafady: A Background To Madagascar

Azafady Facebook

Azafady website

The SOPHIA Forum

Stepping Stones