Live television is mostly a thing of the past, but live web chats are definitely in vogue.  As a means to reach out to audiences live and around the globe, AFRICOM experts Michael Hryshchyshyn, Chief, Humanitarian and Health Activities branch and  Lt. Col. Pamela Ward-Demo from the Command Surgeon’s office answered questions submitted via social media networks about the Command’s involvement with HIV/AIDS.

During a web chat broadcast via Livestream.  The one-hour live “conversation” was moderated by Scott Nielsen, Social Media specialist with the AFRICOM Office of Public Affairs.

Hryshchyshyn and Lt. Col. Ward-Demo addressed questions on the impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa.

In honor of World AIDS Day, which is observed each year on 1 December, AFRICOM chose this opportunity to talk about its role in the fight against AIDS. 

According the UNAIDS most recent report, (2011; http://www.unaids.org/en/) nearly 23 million people are living with HIV in the Sub-Saharan, representing more than two-thirds of the global total.  Countries in Africa vary widely on affected populations.  In Somalia and Senegal, less than one percent of the population lives with HIV.  In Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe the rates vary between 10-15%.  In the southern part of the African continent the rate is estimated to be 17.8%.

The rise of AIDS on the continent of Africa in the 1980s came with Tsunami-like waves, spreading around the globe within a few years.  But the pandemic has been a marshalling force in bringing together NGOs, governments, charities, medical researchers, health organizations, and people from all walks of life to lock arms in a show of force to beat back the enemy. 

Connecting the dots as a strategy

While HIV/AIDS  doesn’t need to spelled out anymore, they have been surrounded by new acronyms, PEPFAR, DHAPP, PMHAP and ARV.   The President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief is a billion-dollar fund designed to fuel the fight for research and programs that address not only HIV and AIDS, but malaria and other threats to global health.  The U.S. Department of Defence implements a variety of initiatives in varying African nations through its DoD HIV/AIDS Program (DHAPP) and DHAPP is a key implementing agency of PEPFAR. 

Drilling on down, the U.S. Africa Command supports DHAPP through its Partner Military HIV/AIDS Program (PMHAP).

And then there’s antiretroviral treatment, or ARV, the most common way to keep HIV at bay for years and has helped extend life for many of those living with HIV. 

These programs, combined with many others, have had a major impact in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Although there is still no cure, there is hope, and many are now living long lives in spite of their status.

“It’s important to know your status. Many don’t want to know if they’ve come in contact with HIV, but awareness is your first defence against any threat to your health,” said Ward-Demo, whose focus during the web chat was that of HIV and AIDS awareness, how it’s contacted and how best to prevent being infected.

Hryshchyshyn’s subject matter expertise was on the AFRICOM funded programs designed to address HIV and AIDS in Africa.

 “It’s a collaborative process.  We gather with experts from varying disciplines and organizations to consider, review and assess where we can make the most impact,” observed Hryshchyshyn, “that’s that “whole of government” approach so prevalent in our messaging.”

And getting the message out is a top priority.  Ignorance kills.  Education saves lives.  Social media is helping to get information out to people who need it. 

Nielsen navigated the subject-matter-experts who were initially shy about engaging with people “out there” in the social media world. 

“We’re here today to talk, just talk informally about what you know to people who may not know what AFRICOM is doing about AIDS in Africa.  It’s just a ‘conversation,’” said Nielsen. 

You can catch the conversation again, or for the first time, by clicking on these links: LiveStream at http://new.livestream.com/AFRICOMPAO/AFRICOMAIDSCHAT, or www.facebook.com/AFRICOM and clicking on the Livestream link.