Comments on: A must read book about HIV and stigma

By: ok

ok — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:57:49 +0000

good site tuimra

By: Thomas Blaser

Thomas Blaser — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:37:11 +0000

Thanks for the review. I note that you found Steinberg treated the issue of ‘black” African culture well and gave meaningful insights how it is a matrix for dealing with HIV/AIDS and explains different responses. In contrast, a recent review in the Weekender came to another conclusion. Here, Steinberg was trapped in a western perspective of what African culture and its implications was.

By: khosi

khosi — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 05:54:43 +0000

Oh, Just got an sms from Exclusive Books saying the copy I requested has arrived. Will pick up later today.

How is that for timing?

By: khosi

khosi — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 05:49:33 +0000

Faceless Rat,

Judging from your response, you MUST read the book.

Prof,

I could not find the book, Exclusive Books are still waiting for it. But of what I have read about the book and interviews on the author, the book should say nothing that I will disagree with. Infact I expect it gives a view that is totally taken in disregard in fighting and managing what many people believe is a ‘harmless’ virus. The fact is that no-one wants to be a part of a shame. For me shame is a state of mind, and that is the source for the, supposed, potency of HIV. Unfortunately, HIV was vigorously sold a a shameful virus that attacks people who sleep around and homosexuals. Given that, I would understand the likes of Sizwe. If we strip shame away from HIV, it will remain just a ‘harmless’ virus. Mockery of African value systems and medicines by the likes of the faceless rat, will not take us forward. What we need is to understand that no one way of life, African Or Western, is the fountain for solutions when it comes to resolving the HIV problem.

By: Anonymouse

Anonymouse — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:18:44 +0000

An interesting insight – indeed – but I would rather wait until Monday when Khosi reports on his insights, which I suppose will be in defence of Thabo Mbeki’s approach to the HIV/AIDS problem, after returning from his ‘holiday house’ before responding on political / legal grounds. I will, however, venture an humanitarian insight. The problem in the area I live in, is that, whenever people are hospitalized with fully blown ‘AIDS’, some ‘educated’ people, especially some qualified nurses, after ‘black’ doctors have diagnosed AIDS, tend to tell people to leave hospital and to go and to go and see ‘traditional healers’ because, ‘this is not an illness that Western medicine can cure, it is a sickness that black people have to look into and cure’. Just a week ago, I attended a funeral of, yet another, child of the woman and man who work for us, who has died of AIDS. In a small rural town, with just a few thousand (black and white) inhabitants, there were seven open graves (ours was the first one) for people to be burried, all reportedly having died of the same ‘disease’. When I came here 14 years ago, there was only one Funeral Parlour, … now, there are seven. We, I was told, were lucky to get a spot (the first spot) on a Saturday morning (the traditional time to burry ‘black’ people), as “yesterday, we burried five, and … tomorrow, we will burry three more”. Shocking, I would say. Even more troubling, like with their first two daughters and one son who had died of AIDS, the poor people working for me came to my wife and I afterwards, saying: ” “You and the doctors can say just what you like. We know, what has killed our children, is witchcraft. Not an illness. But soon, our luck will turn, we will see a very powerful witchdoctor, and he will fix those responsible.” Problem is, the grandparents will now have to feed three more children, in addition to the seven others they had to adopt due to their parents having died, because of AIDS, that notorious killer disease, and the fact that the people were not educated by ‘leaders’. They have only one ‘living’ child left. A whole generation of people is being taken out, and, … a lack of education, insight, medication and support is responsible. … Our leaders will have to come out ‘guns blazing’, and supply all the help that is needed to put an end to this dreadfull disease, and to help those infected, to live a better life or, … at least, to die with dignity.

By: khosi

khosi — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:49:54 +0000

I will go and buy the book. I will be alone at my holiday house this weekend, so I will have ample time on my hands.

I will comment on Monday.