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SPEECH Date 09-11 June 2004 Global Biodiversity Forum (GBF) East and Southern Africa- Tanzania Paper presented by: Gladman Chibememe -(Post World Parks Congress GLT P Rural Communities’ Programme and CHIEHA community Representative) Contact: chibememe@hotmail.com or ecoride@justice.com Workshop session: Securing Africa’s future: biodiversity and health HIV/AIDS. Topic: The relationship between biodiversity and healthy with particular reference to HIV/AIDS a community perspective. Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to speak to this house today about the relationship between biodiversity and healthy, but with particular reference to HIV and AIDS. I will speak, not from the point of view of an intellectual or professional but will instead take the perspective of the communities around the world and in particular the Chibememe Earth Healing Association (CHIEHA) and the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) Communities whom I represent and who have been hit hardest by the AIDS pandemic. HIV/ AIDS has been given different names in my community among which include: Matsotsi (Robbers), Zivakayi (Home remembrance), Chirungu (Modernity) and Shuramatongo (the Destroyer). The biodiversity / HIV interface is an interesting discipline and I am particularly glad that it is the central discussion issue in this forum. I want to first of all start by acknowledging that HIV/ AIDS is a living reality in rural communities and that there indeed exist a strong linkage between HIV/ AIDS and biodiversity. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has been defined and described in the communities in various ways as derived from the character of the disease. One such designation is “Zivakayi” which, translated loosely means “Home remembrance” because once one get infected in the urban areas one believes that he/ she can only receive the best care back home in the rural areas. Hence, the mass return of HIV/AIDS victims to their rural homes. This urban rural exodus has precipitated population pressure on the biodiversity resources due to increasing population on limited resources, thereby exceeding the carrying capacity of the land. This is tragic especially when this involves the destruction of biodiversity as patients dig and scratch for medicinal herbs such as the “African potato”. The effect on biodiversity is such that rare species of plants are gradually but surely pushed into extinction. This is further exacerbated by the fact that foreign companies also collect the species (herbs) add some value to them and market them at the expense of the local communities. There is no access and benefit sharing systems that would allow the communities to benefit from the commercialisation of both their Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and medicinal or biological resources. An increase in the sick population of rural African communities poses a strain on the food resource, whose availability and sufficiency is hinged on a balanced and rich biodiversity. The recommendation by medical practitioners for HIV/AIDS care givers to give HIV/ AIDS infected people natural, traditional and less refined food has seen massive transportation of raw agro biodiversity and wildlife products from the villages to the cities to feed the affected. This has resulted in overexploitation of resources and hence biodiversity loss. It is sad to note that HIV and AIDS have robbed society of the most productive section of the human population. This state of affairs tends to incapacitate the communities and impacts negatively on every effort towards biodiversity conservation. Biodiversity conservation ought to be understood holistically and as a full time undertaking requiring adequate manpower. It is thus pathetic to learn that the generation (age-group) best equipped with the requisite energy and skill is perishing at the hands of HIV/AIDS. The name “Matsotsi” (robbers) aptly adopted to express the robbery communities have suffered due to HIV/AIDS. Loss of able bodied male bread winners resulted in some households changing their livelihood strategies from agriculture and paid income to unsustainable biodiversity related livelihood strategies (e.g. fire wood sales, poaching, gold panning etc). All the factors affecting the spread of HIV/AIDS have a biodiversity dimension to them. Prostitution (an essentially urban phenomenon) and poverty result from lack of access to biological resources. HIV/AIDS have also robbed communities of the elderly who are the custodians of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and technologies important for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Through the lose of the elderly communities lose IKS vital in the management of biological resources such as those found in sacred pools and forests and in turn result in degradation of biological resources in these areas. It is quite refreshing to note that drugs to lessen the effect of HIV/AIDS affected people such as anti-retroviral drugs are now available in pharmaceutical companies, public and private clinics in some developing countries. However, these are not readily accessible to the poor communities as they lack financial resources. But what is interesting is that the very communities which are denied access to these resources are the ones whose traditional knowledge and biodiversity was collected, developed and commercialised without their prior informed consent. We as communities have realised that States through the Millennium development goal number six (6) have undertaken to combat and reverse the spread of HIV/ AIDS by 2015 and thus intend to contribute to this global effort through our local level action involving the following;
In line with the above efforts we recommend the following to Governments, Private sector and NGOs:
Let me conclude by saying;
I have heard the elderly in my community say: HIV/AIDS is real in the communities and is inextricably connected to biodiversity. It is the here and now. Thank you, Muchas Gracious, Asante-Asanti, Kap kon ka, Obrigando, Shaimo, Terima kasi, Ameginalus, Tatenda, Siyabonga, Mazviita |
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