The Fight Against HIV/AIDS in Central Africa

The week after Thanksgiving I had a chance to travel to Africa for a work trip.  It was a whirlwind trip...we were in a different place every night.  Our first stop was Gabon in Central Africa.  I wrote a blog for AFRICOM's website and thought I'd re-post it here.  

View of Gabon's capital Libreville

Gabon in Sub-Saharan Africa straddles the equator and is one of the least densely populated countries in Africa.  The nation, which is about the size of Colorado, has an estimated population of 1.54 million people, which is smaller than some U.S. cities. 

The week after Thanksgiving I had a chance to visit Gabon while supporting a senior leader visit by Ambassador J. Anthony Holmes, U.S. Africa Command’s deputy to the commander for civil-military activities.  The visit’s main focus was maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and regional cooperation, but we got an opportunity to visit the Gabonese military’s HIV/AIDS program at Camp Baraka in Libreville.   

I know my status. Do you know yours?

The HIV prevalence rate in Gabon is estimated at 5.9 percent, with approximately 49,000 people living with HIV/AIDS.  In the Gabonese Armed Forces, roughly 5,000 members, the HIV/AIDS prevalence is estimated at 4.3 percent. 

We were told by staff at the U.S. Embassy that HIV/AIDS prevalence in Gabon is notably higher among young people and military personnel, which makes programs like Gabon’s Anti-AIDS Military Program (PMLS), established in 2002, very important.  PMLS provides training, medical care and support, and outreach and educational activities targeted at vulnerable kids, orphans, widows and the military.

Dr. Ba Omar gives Ambassadors Benjaminson and Holmes a tour of the center.

The U.S. Government has been supporting Gabon’s Anti-AIDS Military Program since 2003 through the DoD HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP).  Support has included funding for the acquisition of laboratory equipment, reagents and supplies related to the diagnosis and treatment of HIV/AIDS.  In fiscal year 2011, DHAPP provided $300,000 in funding support to Gabon. 

Our visit to Camp Baraka included a ceremony where Ambassador Eric Benjaminson, the U.S. Ambassador to Gabon, joined by Ambassador Holmes, presented a $5,600 donation in equipment for the center.  The donation included a refrigerator for medical supplies, printers and a computer. 

$5,600 in equipment presented to the center

During his remarks, Ambassador Benjaminson said that the office equipment was meant to assist the Gabonese military’s HIV/AIDS program as it works to create “new, progressive messages to promote HIV/AIDS awareness” and support activities “that will change any stigma or discrimination related to HIV/AIDS among military troops or civilians.” 

The program also included a tour of the center and two special presentations.  Members of the Gabonese military sang an original song that incorporates anti-HIV/AIDS messages that highlight the importance of knowing your HIV/AIDS status, getting tested, practicing abstinence, being faithful and using condoms.  The song was followed by the Camp’s HIV/AIDS drama troupe performing a skit that put HIV/AIDS on trial.  

An HIV/AIDS drama troupe member participates in the skit

The effects of HIV/AIDS extend beyond health, family and social impacts.  The epidemic also threatens a nation’s security by reducing military readiness, limiting deployments, and hindering a military’s ability to support regional response and peacekeeping activities. 

Reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS is a priority for U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) because of the disease’s destabilizing effects on a nation and the readiness of its military.  

Below is a picture of Gabon's Freedom Monument.  It depicts a half man/half woman breaking free from chains.  It symbolizes Gabon's independence, which was gained from France August 17, 1960.   

According to the U.S. State Department's Background Notes on Gabon, Libreville, the capital, grew out of a series of small settlements along the Komo River estuary. The first settlement was started in 1842 by American missionaries from New England who established a Presbyterian mission on a hilltop overlooking the estuary. The mission, called Baraka, is now located in the section of Libreville called Glass. In 1849, the population along the Komo River estuary swelled when the French captured an illegal slave ship and released the passengers at the mouth of the Komo River. The slaves named their settlement Libreville--"free town."  

Capitalizing on treaties signed with indigenous chiefs earlier in the century, France occupied Gabon in 1885 during the European scramble for Africa. However, it did not begin to administer it until 1903. In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959. The territories became independent in 1960--forming the independent nations of the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), and Gabon.

Gabon's Freedom Monument