VANESSA VICK PHOTOGRAPHY

AIDS in Africa

The AIDS epidemic has surpassed the worst-case scenarios of just a few years ago. Striking the most productive segment of the society usually men and women in their 20’s and 30’s. Twenty three million Africans have already died due to AIDS and 70% of the 40 million people infected with HIV/AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa. The population is being ravaged.

Every day, almost 2,000 babies are infected with HIV during pregnancy, at birth or through breastfeeding. Most of these infants will die before their fifth birthday. At the age of fifteen Emmanuel is admitted to the hospital in grave condition to begin an anti retroviral treatment.
   
Rebecca Nakabazi, in the advanced stages of AIDS, suffers from dementia. She sometimes attacks family members or becomes verbally abusive despite their tireless efforts to care for her.
   
Janet Nakiyingi was a successful businesswoman before she became sick with AIDS. Now bedridden she does not know how she will come up with the money for her two daughters continue with school.
     
  
Hospitalized at the Joint Clinical Research Center in Kampala boredom is Emma’s biggest enemy.
   
Experts believe the most devastating aspect of the AIDS epidemic will be the overwhelming number of orphans. Lutabi Sebastiane, an elderly blind man, is lead by his grandson one of over 20 orphans living with him and his wife.
   
In 1993 Rebecca Nakabazi lost her husband to AIDS. At the age of 19 she was HIV positive and had an infant son Julius who was also HIV positive. Rebecca has survived almost a decade living with HIV but it is a daily struggle.
     
  
Overburdened with the number of orphans many extended families are at their breaking point. These children are cared for by their grandmother who already has 20 orphans in her care.
  
Abstinence, condom use and fidelity are the buzzwords of the campaign to help prevent new infections of HIV in Uganda but for children born with the disease it is too late. Emma still a teenager looks like a frail old man.
   
For Teddy’s family there is literally a missing generation. She has lost seven of her eight children to AIDS. Josephine, 6 years old, is one of several children in Teddy’s care that are HIV positive.
     
  
Rebecca's niece holds a cross at her funeral.
   
Joyce Musoke has already watched helplessly while two children and one grandchild have died due to AIDS. She does everything within her power to try to sustain and comfort her daughter Rebecca who says she does not know if she would have survived without her.
   
Rebecca referred to by her younger brother as “a pillar in the family” is now a tremendous burden. She no longer can work or bring income home to pay her son’s school fees, clothes, food or any of the other necessities of life. In addition medical bills put a further strain on this poor family’s meager resources.
     
  
Annette and Esther both cousins to Emma have stayed with him 24 hours a day for the past month while he has been hospitalized at the Joint Clinical Research Center in Kampala.
   
An HIV positive mother takes her child to a clinic in Addis Ababa.
   
Rebecca’s nieces lost both parents to AIDS in less than 24 hours. Neither of the girls have been tested. The family does not want to know their HIV status unless they have access to life saving anti retro viral drugs.
     
  
AIDS does not affect one person but the whole family. Annette, Emma’s cousin has put her schooling on hold in order to care for and comfort Emma during his prolonged illness.
   
An NGO offered assistance; paying for Emma’s anti-retroviral drugs and all of his medical bills in an effort to save his life but unfortunately he was too ill to recover and later died.