Fighting AIDS in the fishing communities of West Africa

The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic shows no sign of abating, according to a recent press statement by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Five million people were infected by HIV in the world in 2003, and three million died. These figures are higher than ever before.

In Africa, the transmission and spread of HIV/AIDS takes place against a background of general ignorance and the myth of traditional medicines as cures. The efforts made over many years to help people understand the risks associated with certain practices are still insufficient, given the scale of the problem.

West Africa’s small-scale fisheries sector has not been spared. Migration by fishers between the different countries of the sub-region, large movements of people around the main regional fish markets, the vulnerability of women to HIV/AIDS infection because of socio-cultural factors (women have little negotiating power over the use of condoms), the lack of local support and of any awareness-raising concerning the pandemic and risky practices, limited access to condoms, insecurity and poverty all greatly influence the course of the epidemic and provide the ideal vector for the spread of the disease.

Preventive measures have been taken by West African countries in their national programmes to combat AIDS. However, the degree and intensity of the response varies from country to country. Another fact of note is that fishing communities are rarely taken into account in national HIV/AIDS control programmes. Information on the level of the prevalence and spread of HIV/AIDS in fishing communities is scarce or non-existent. This is explained by the compartmentalisation and marginalisation of small-scale fishing communities in public development policy, in its turn related to the fisheries sector’s lack of a voice and inability to defend its interests. However, there is also the lack of knowledge and communication regarding the significant role played by small-scale fisheries in reducing poverty. And finally, it is also a result of the perception of small-scale fisheries held by the decision-makers, civil society in general and some donors. There are still many prejudices that tarnish the image of small-scale fisheries in terms of its economic, social and environmental impact.

Faced with this situation, the Sustainable Fisheries Livelihoods Programme (SFLP), with the collaboration of the Congo and Benin National Coordination Units, set up an HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention project in four fishing communities in Benin and three in Congo.

These two countries were chosen because of the large numbers of Beninois fishers in Congo (as well as Ghanaian, Angolan and others) living alongside their Congolese counterparts. There is also a large regional fish market in Congo – Makotipoko – visited by thousands of people, mainly from Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moreover the two countries enjoy the support of national AIDS control programmes and partners with whom collaborative links may be built up in the future.

Project objective

The project objective is to help slow down the spread of HIV/AIDS in fishing communities through social communication and social mobilisation activities to reduce the populations’ vulnerability to HIV and the impact of AIDS. The activities will also serve as an example to convince the policy-makers and other partners to invest in the fishing communities and include them in national HIV/AIDS control programmes.

Initially, a survey on gender-related issues was begun in the target communities in the two countries in June 2003. The objective was to assess the level of knowledge within the communities, and their attitudes and practices (KAP) with respect to AIDS.

In November 2003, taking advantage of a complementary HIV/AIDS study which looked at security in household living conditions, conducted by the FAO in Benin and funded by the GTZ, the Congo KAP study team visited Benin to find out about the methodology used and then adapt and complement their KAP study [Mission Report Read on-line  58 Kb – Available only in French].

The first results of the survey show that the fishing communities have a low level of information on HIV/AIDS. Indeed, AIDS is far from the centre of their concerns. Their priorities are primarily related to everyday health issues, education and survival in general. It was therefore proposed, in order to make any intervention effective, that the issue of health should be used as an entry point for the AIDS control project, firstly helping the communities solve their problems of access to basic health care. By doing this, it will be easier to conduct information activities aimed at promoting changes in practices and mobilisation activities on HIV/AIDS.

The information gathered in the fishing communities in the two countries provided a firm basis on which to identify specific information and awareness-raising activities on the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, and to explore paths for collaboration with other partners willing to support fishing communities.

The results of the KAP studies in Benin and Congo are currently being compiled and will be made available in the near future.