The spread of AIDS is serious in Zambia. AIDS was believed to have
been a fatal disease before, but nowadays antiretroviral (ARV) medicine is
available, which can control the development and aggravation of the symptoms provided
that the medicine is taken religiously everyday. However, many HIV-positive people and AIDS
patients discontinue taking ARV medicine for if they are unwilling to disclose
their status to their neighbors, or they wait before going to hospital with the
false understanding that they are still healthy. With the goal of encouraging
such people to take their medicine appropriately, AAR Japan has been training volunteers
for ART (antiretroviral therapy)
support and establishing medical facilities in various communities.
At Mount Makulu Clinic and Nangongwe Clinic in Lusaka Province, AAR
Japan built ART Centers, where patients in need of medical treatment through
antiretroviral medicine can consult a specialist under the privacy-protected
environment. Yuki SAKURAI of AAR Japan residing in Zambia since October, 2013
reports:
A ceremony to handover the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Centers to
the Health Department of Zambia was held on November 8, in which about 100
persons participated, including officials of the government of Zambia, doctors
and nurses of the clinic, ART Support Project volunteers who work with AAR
Japan, as well as local media and people from the communities. The ceremony
started with welcome remarks by Chilanga District Commissioner, Edith MUWANA,
followed by a presentation by Hiromi KAWANO, County Director of AAR Japan in
Zambia, who discussed the past 30 years of AAR Japan’s activities in Zambia and
the current state of its ongoing programs. The ART Support Project volunteers who
are actively engaged in the project at Mount Makulu and Nangongwe were
introduced to the participants.
 |
| AAR Japan’s Country Director in Zambia, Hiromi KAWANO, reported its
activities in Zambia to the participants. (November 8th, 2013) |
The ceremony was honored by the presence of Hideki YAMAJI, Charge
d’Affaires ad interim at the Embassy of Japan in Zambia and Dr. Joseph KATEMA, Minister
of Community Development, Mother and Child Health, who addressed congratulatory
remarks. It was followed by a speech of thanks by Albert MBUNJI on behalf of
the ART Support Project volunteers. MBUNJI expressed his pleasure, saying
“Those with HIV positive status have been facing various difficulties such as
discrimination and prejudice. Thanks to the completion of ART Centers where the
patients’ privacy is well protected, they are now able to receive treatment
with a sense of relief.” He also explained his and his colleagues’ activities as
the ART Support Project volunteers who assist each and every patient through making
home visits.
 |
| Albert MBUNJI representing the volunteers. AAR Japan trains the ART
Support Project volunteers to disseminate the importance of continued medical
treatments to the patients through home visits and conduct counseling for the
patients at the clinics. (November 8th,
2013) |
 |
| At the main entrance of Mount Makulu Clinic ART Center. From left,
Edith MUWANA, District Commissioner, Dr. Joseph KATEMA, Minister of Community
Development, Mother and Child Health, and Hideki YAMAJI, Charge d’Affaires ad
interim at the Embassy of Japan. (November 8th, 2013) |
 |
| Overall view of Mount Makulu Clinic ART Center. The Center’s
facilities include two counseling rooms, two examination rooms, a waiting room,
a dispensary and a client data management room. (November 8th, 2013) |
“No patient should be kept away from treatment because of
discrimination and prejudice.”
A clinical officer at Mount Makulu Clinic, Elisha UWINZEYE, gladly
talked about the Center: “In the old
hospital facilities, we couldn’t stock medicines for a long time because of
high temperatures in summer. Since the newly constructed dispensary is equipped
with air conditioner, we will be able to preserve them longer.” He added that “since
the number of rooms were limited before, we had to keep patients waiting for a
long time or send them to other clinics. As the new Center has more examination
and counseling rooms, we can accept more patients.” He enthusiastically talked about the clinic’s
staff hopes that HIV-positive children can be provided with access to necessary
medical treatment at appropriate times, and that no HIV-positive person is
turned away from medical treatment because of discrimination and prejudice.
 |
| A clinical officer, Elisha UWINZEYE, at Mount
Makulu Clinic. He is from Rwanda and had immigrated to Zambia as a refugee.
(November 28th, 2013) |
AAR Japan will create an environment in which HIV/AIDS patients can
continue receiving treatment with a sense of relief, through the synergistic
effect of the consultations at ART Centers where the patients’ privacy is well protected,
and the counseling at waiting rooms and home by the ART Support Project
volunteers.
 |
| The dispensary of Nangongwe Clinic ART Center is equipped with an
air conditioner and able to keep medicines for a long time. Explaining about
medicine is its staff member Alice KAPANGA.
(November 26th, 2013) |
 |
| At newly set up patients’ data management room. Patient
information, which had not been managed adequately before, will be registered
in this room. (November 26th,
2013) |
* These activities are carried out with the support of many of
your generous contributions, and the Government of Japan’s Grant Assistance for
Japanese NGO Projects.
Reporter (profile as of the
date of the article)
 |
| Yuki SAKURAI Staff Member, AAR Japan Zambia OfficeAfter graduating from university, he worked for a private foundation and studied peace studies at graduate school in the U.K. He then worked in Pakistan for an NGO and joined AAR Japan in April, 2012. He was responsible for the coordination of Tajikistan programs at Tokyo Headquarters Office. Since October 2013, he is a resident staff of Zambia Office of AAR Japan. |
