A Question of Life or Death - Human Rights Watch

IV. Barriers to Treatment for Children Living with HIV
Children living with HIV can face a range of treatment access barriers. HIV-positive
mothers are victims of violence and property rights abuses, and unable to care for
their children. Children, in particular orphans, are neglected and abused by their
caregivers who prevent them from being tested or following treatment. Parents or
caregivers lack accurate information about medical care for children, or avoid testing
and treatment because of stigma and discrimination. Many families cannot afford
transport to reach health centers, or enough food to avoid serious side effects from
the drugs.
Perceptions about HIV and Lack of Accurate Medical Information
Perceptions about HIV/AIDS and modern medicine
Perceptions of HIV/AIDS are closely tied to perceptions of body, health, sex, and
sexual relations. As different ethnic groups in Kenya have different traditions, these
perceptions are not uniform. In general, HIV is perceived not only as a disease, but
also as an attack on traditions and morality. It is often seen as being associated with
a wider process of societal decline. 62 For example, among the Luo in western
Kenya—the third largest ethnic group in Kenya, with about 3 million people—AIDS is
often associated with “chira.” Chira is a physical condition that leads to symptoms
similar to full-blown AIDS. It is considered the result of disordered social relations,
and believed to befall people who have gone against the customs and traditions of
the society. 63
Kenyan churches’ response to HIV/AIDS has added a religious dimension to the fear
associated with the disease and sometimes deterred people from seeking medical
treatment. Many churches have explained AIDS as a curse from God that is meant for
sinners; people with AIDS were at first blamed for their illness and severely
62 Iliffe, The African AIDS Epidemic, p. 29.
63 Ruth J. Prince and Paul Wenzel Geissler, “The Land is Dying”: Contingency, Creativity and Conflict in Western Kenya,
(Oxford/New York: Berghahn, 2009) (forthcoming), pp. 263-307, 334-336.
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