Afrimedia Programme

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Afrimedia Programme

• HIV-Preventionamong Sub-Saharan migrantsin
  Switzerland

Noël Tshibangu, Swiss Aids Federation MAS
Conference 2008, Basel Primary Health Care and
Social Equity Illusion or Reality? 09.13.2008
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Afrimedia Programme

• Coordination

Cantonal sections of the Aids Federation
Rel
Organisations of target groups
Rel
Rel
Int
FR
ZH
Kult
NE
Coordination
VD
Sol
SG
Kult
GE
BE
BS
BS
Sol
Kult
Sport
Sport
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Sub-Saharan migrants Whom do we talk about?

• Target group
• - In 2006 about 45000 persons from 47 countries
• - A very heterogenous group with a variety of
  languages, problems, partially with similar but
  often also with very different histories and
  situations

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Sub-Saharan migrants Whom do we talk about?

• The following aspects besides general
  vulnerability factors can be identified as main
  characteristics of migrants
• They come from countries with a high prevalence,
  from conflict and war areas
• Predestination of discrimination due to higher
  visibility (complexion)
• Low familiarity with written sources of
  information gt oral tradition as main source of
  information

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Sub-Saharan migrants Whom do we talk about?

• Superstition, unclear concepts of illness and
  healing
• Missing or insufficient language skills (EU),
  illiteracy
• Stigmatisation, discrimination and social
  exclusion of people living with HIV
• Young history of migration and often no strong
  structure of organisation aside from religious
  groups
• The networks are mainly not formalised, run
  through kinship, country of origin etc.

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Sub-Saharan migrants Whom do we talk about?

• Since the enactment of the new law on
  asylum/aliens act (2006) more and more people
  without residence permit from Sub-Saharan Africa
  can be registered in Switzerland
• Compared to other European countries target
  group is very much affected
• High mobility within Europe (not only for
  rejected asylum seekers who try it elsewhere),
  between their countries of origin and their
  countries of residence such as Switzerland
• Connected to own cultural traditions gt
  recreational activities and music

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Sub-Saharan migrantsin the context of migration
and HIV/AIDS

• Target group constitutes of less than 1 of the
  population in Switzerland but belongs to almost
  half of all people living with HIV/AIDS among
  heterosexuals
• Target group is not reached by conventional
  campagnes (reason for Afrimedia)
• Target group is mainly male, coming from
  different countries with differing prevalence
  rates
• Collective feeling of guilt for HIV infection,
  fear of/suffer from negative sanctions gt leads
  to nondisclosure about serostatus, high
  psychological strain of those affected/their
  families

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Sub-Saharan migrantsin the context of migration
and HIV/AIDS

• Main transmission paths of the target group via
  heterosexual contacts
• Average age between 20 - 45 years
• Target group is mainly stigmatised because of
  drug dealing
• ? Political instrumentalisation of HIV/AIDS might
  bear negative consequences on prevention

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Sub-Saharan migrantsin the context of migration
and HIV/AIDS
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Sub-Saharan migrantsin the context of migration
and HIV/AIDS
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What is the name of HIV or AIDS in your country
of origin?

• Maladiya Mputu (maladie de lEurope. RDC)
• Aniati Bombe/ mine (il a piétiné une bombe,
  explosion, RDC)
• Yango ( cela , la chose innommable, Lingala,
  RDC)
• Alokoti yango (Il/Elle a ramassé, RDC)
• Alokoti ndoki (Il/Elle a ramassé le sorcier, RDC)
• Sorcellerie, mauvais sort pour les paysans
  (Cameroun)
• Azali na yango (il/elle en a ! RDC)
• Keba na mopepe ya mabe (attention avec le mauvais
  vent, RDC)
• Azali na mukila (il/elle a une queue, RDC)
• Kantembela (la rougeole, RDC)
• Agasimba (diminutif dune petite bête ravageuse,
  Rwanda)
• Nyama Mabe (lanimal dangereux, RDC)
• Caateeye (maladie, syndrome amaigrissant,
  Somalia)
• Aniati Nioka, Azali na nioka (Il a un serpent)
  (RDC)
• Keba !! Ekoti ye, (Attention, ça la pénétré,
  RDC)

• La maladie du temps (Bénin)
• SIDASyndrome Inventé pour Décourager les
  Amoureux (RDC)
• SIDA-BAANA (Bamanankan ou Bambara, Mali)
• Fébar budul wér (la maladie, qui nest pas
  guérissable, Wolof, Sénégal)
• TGV (République Centrafricaine)
• Nyama (animal, RDC)
• Maladie des condamnés à mort (Cameroun)
• Dosese (maladie grave, Togo)
• Wirci Laala (mauvaise/méchante maladie (Songhay)
• La maladie qui va finir les blancs, mais pas nous
  Camerounais
• Les histoires que les blancs nous apportent
  (Cameroun)
• La maladie mystérieuse qui tue (Bénin)
• Baana Jugu (mauvaise maladie, Bambara, Mali)
• La maladie dont on parle à la radio (Cameroun)
• Maladiya ya buala ya mundele (maladie de la ville
  RDC)

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HIV prevention among Sub-Saharan
migrantsinterventions of Afrimedia
Actors
Means for work
Approaches and locations
Messages