Marking World AIDS Day in Eastern Chad

By Rigobert Kazadi, HIV/AIDS program coordinator and lab technician for IMC in Chad

Photo: IMC

The Prefect of Guereda is leading the crowd to a traditional dance.

November 28, 2007, Guereda, Chad - Early in the afternoon of Saturday, November 27th, 2007, the people of Guereda began assembling at the International Medical Corps (IMC) compound. For the third consecutive year, the townspeople came together to hear, speak, and learn about HIV/AIDS in public. This year, for the first time ever, IMC was joined by the both the administrative and traditional leaders of this embattled town, as well as by the military commanders who are now posted throughout the area in an attempt to forestall further ethnic conflict.

Since 2004, International Medical Corps (IMC) has been working in Guereda, a market town in eastern Chad which has seen a huge influx of refugees from neighboring Darfur and was the scene of heavy fighting between government soldiers and rebel groups in 2006. It has taken IMC years to overcome religious and cultural barriers and convince civilian and military leaders in this deeply conservative Muslim city that HIV/AIDS had become a threat to the health of all citizens.

Photo: IMC

IMC Staff at the World AIDS Day event in Guereda, Chad.

But this year, after a long period of advocacy, the IMC-HIV/AIDS team finally received the full support from the local authorities. The Sultan of Dar Tama, the prefect, his deputy, and high-ranking officers of the Chadian army joined representatives of the education authorities, local schools, youth associations, and humanitarian rights organizations in marking World AIDS Day 2007.

During the event, local authorities confirmed to the population that HIV/AIDS exists in the region and asked the people to follow IMC’s advice for prevention in order to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS in and around Guereda. The Sultan insisted that youth and soldiers should be the main target of awareness activities because they are most likely to be infected and to spread the virus. The general called for soldiers to receive and use condoms. Throughout the three hour event, game-show style contests got the whole audience involved, spreading information and testing basic knowledge about HIV/AIDS, with winners receiving gifts from International Medical Corps.

In an area where AIDS has been a taboo subject for so long, celebrating World AIDS Day was a milestone. Many more people attended than expected, showing the fruits of IMC’s awareness campaign and giving hope for the successful continuation of HIV/AIDS activities in the months and years to come.