Sunday, December 1st, was World AIDS Day which was also organized in Kabul, Afghanistan. According to BBC reports, Mohammad Ali, who is one of the HIV infected, talked about the unkindness of government and people. He railed against the cynical views of people towards the HIV infected individuals with strong emotion. He said that there is a common misperception that HIV/AIDS results solely from illegitimate sexual relationships which led to the cynical views of people. He asked that what would be the fault of the innocent babies who are given birth by HIV infected mothers or those who were donated infected blood? He asked for not being left alone.

Meanwhile, the officials of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced on Sunday that cases of the HIV virus in Afghanistan were up by 38 percent from last year.

Based on official reports, more than 300,000 Afghans have been tested for AIDS this year.

The first confirmed case of HIV/AIDS appeared in Afghanistan in 1989. Instances of the disease remained negligible for the next fifteen years before a combination of circumstances – including a raise in poppy cultivation, drug trafficking and drug use; unscreened blood being used in transfusions and conflict scattering refugees around the world – began to push infection rates up.

According to the UN, around 5,000 people are thought to live with HIV in Afghanistan, but only 30 percent of them have been tested.

Amongst the current challenges facing the world, perhaps the biggest of them are AIDS/HIV infections. According to official data, more than 25 million people have died of these infections between 1981 and 2007. Despite improved preventive measures such as condoms and improved antiretroviral treatments, the problem still remains a worry around the world.

Of course, in Afghanistan the HIV infected individuals live in seclusion. There are two reasons behind this bitter fact. First, in a religious society like Afghanistan, due to a common misperception that HIV results from illegitimate sexual relationships, people behave them as irreligious and sinful group. Secondly, they avoid them for the fear of being infected through having physical contact such as shaking hands or kissing which are the common styles of greeting amongst Afghan people. In short, there is lack of awareness amongst people.

The drug addicts and users are highly vulnerable to HIV disease which forms large numbers in our country. Seemingly, there is a close connection between HIV and using narcotic drugs. As a result, based on official reports, this year there is 36 percent rise in cultivating opium meanwhile there is 38 percent rise in HIV disease comparing to the last year. Hence, curing drug addiction is critical to controlling the spread of the disease.

In addition to curbing drug use, one of the biggest challenges ahead remains increasing public awareness about HIV/AIDS. As a traditional country, the general community has a difficult time accepting people with a disease that is widely known to be sexually transmitted. There are numerous stories of women who having been infected by their husband were later accused of prostitution when their families found out.

People know only a little about HIV virus. Awareness should be spread by media and also by religious scholars regarding the HIV virus. It is assured that if the religious scholars give proper awareness and make people understand that it is not only resulted by illegal sexual relationships, the people’s attitudes will change about the HIV infected patients. Of course, they should not be marginalized from social life and services.

In Islam, visiting patients is emphasized greatly. People should share their concern with them. Mostly those who are sick, feel lonely and disappointed. They long to visit friends to share their pains and feelings and they need a shoulder to cry on. But if they be treated unfairly, they will be more disappointed and lose their hope in their lives. Hence, it is hoped that people will change their wrong attitudes towards them and sympathize them through visiting and showing kindness to them.

In addition to providing service for the infected people, government should take action against poppy cultivation and trafficking so as to decrease the HIV spread. As the connection between poppy and HIV was mentioned. Moreover, the drug addicts inject themselves with infected needles which cause the spread of HIV virus.

It is amazing for me that despite pouring millions of dollars in the country and existence of many official organs and NGOs, still the poppy cultivation rises and same is the case with HIV infection. Moreover, government seems unconcerned regarding such challenges. However I pressurize my mind to know the causes and effects, I find no answer other than corrupt government.

If one is asked about the susceptibility of the country to all types of challenges and harms, s/he will easily attribute the reason to three decades of war. I do not deny that we experienced war and bloodshed within three decades, thousands of our people lost their lives and we were the heir to debris and destructions. Now, my question is that should we concentrate on the negative points of those days and attribute all our faults to the past three decades of war and violence? It would be highly immoral of one to mollify his or her conscience through such words and justify himself/herself, for a fault, this way. Unfortunately, now this answer is very habitual for our officials.

It is hoped that the government will use the economic sources and services not only effectively but also efficiently. Moreover, it should adopt a pragmatic mechanism for tackling the challenges and difficulties of the country. In other words, the challenges such as opium cultivation, HIV infection, etc. do not rise rather they will be lowered or rooted out through those dollars and energies.

As an Afghan citizen, I am really tortured mentally by such negative news. For instance, 38% rise in HIV infection, 36% raise in opium cultivation, the graph of terrorism victims remains high; the rate of violence against women is terrible, etc. With such news, how is it possible to remain hopeful?