Subject: AIDS IN NICARAGUA
From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 09:10:35 -0600 (CST)

IN NICARAGUA, PEOPLE WITH AIDS ARE EXCLUDED FROM MEDICAL ATTENTION

by  Guillermo Murillo and Richard Stern

A short fact finding visit to Nicaragua has revealed the terrible plight of
People who live with AIDS in this Central American nation of 4 million
inhabitants.

Basically, people with AIDS in Nicaragua have little hope of receiving
treatment for their opportunistic infections, let alone the newer
anti-retroviral medications that, while not a cure, offer hope  for
recovery.  In Nicaragua you live as long as you can without medical
intervention, as if all the medical advances that have occurred in the last
15 years have not yet penetrated the Nicaraguan border.

What medical attention is available is through private non-governmental
organizations such as the Xochiquetzal Foundation. Agency director Hazel
Fonseca said that Xochiquetzal tries to buy medicines for opportunistic
infections, using fees it collects from the few patients who have the
ability to pay for services. But in all of 1997, just $7,000 was collected
for this program.  There is a support group for patients who come to
Xochiquetzal, attended by about a dozen persons, two of whom  had died the
week before  we arrived.

The Nicaraguan government´s own AIDS  Department Coordinator Dr.  Roberto
Pao, openly acknowledged that the government will not  treat  with anybody
with AIDS,  even if they are paid up members of the National Health
insurance program.  AIDS is a on a  list of  conditions that are excluded
from government  medical  attention. A person with AIDS may try to get
medical attention for an infection, but must try  to hide from health the
authorities the fact that they have the AIDS virus. This is not so difficult
since the government does not have the "reactives" necessary to test for the
presence of the virus.

There are only 170 officially diagnosed cases here, but almost everyone
agrees that there are hundreds of  cases that have never been officially
reported. Many Nicaraguans leave the country to work in other parts of
Central America, where the rates of infections are much higher. When they
return, infected, there is little help available for them.  Nicaragua shares
borders with Honduras, which has 10,000 cases and Costa Rica  which has  1,300.

Paradoxically,  a very progressive law  has recently been passed by the
Nicaraguan leglislature  which guarantees the rights of  Nicaraguan People
Living with AIDS, but the law appears to have little impact on  improving
conditions for people with AIDS.   Discrimination  and misinformation are
rampant.  There is no hospice for men who have AIDS although a small program
has recently been opened which houses 4 women. 

Nicaragua has been thrashed for the last 30 year by natural disasters, war
and political upheaval. The recently elected  government of Arnoldo Aleman
appears to be trying to  stimulate international investment and  privatize many 
government Agencies, including the health care system.  

It would appear that any relief for Nicaraguans living with AIDS  must come
from initiatives that would have to be taken by the International Community.
Leaders of  both ONG´s as well as Dr. Pao, were strongly critical of the
lack of participation of  the United Nacions organization for AIDS, UNAIDS,
in Nicaragua.  The world health organization and Panamian Health
organization  did spend  $159,500 there in 1995 for a seminar for leaders of
the  Nicaraguan religious sector held  in the beachfront luxury resort  of
Montelimar. Rita Arauz  of  Fundacion Nimehuatzin attended one of the
sessions and said that it was led  by bible thumping religious fanatics
urging chastity.   

For direct contact with Nicaraguan ONG´s:

Fundación Xochiquetzal
P.O. Box N° 112, Managua, Nicaragua
tel:  (505)  249-05-85
fax. (505)  249-13-46
e-mail: [email-masked]

Fundación Nimehuatzin
A,P.  A-262, Managua Nicaragua
tel.  (505) 278-00-28
fax. (505) 278-65-34
e-mail: [email-masked]

Guillermo Murillo/Richard Stern
Asociacion Triangulo Rosa
Apartado 366-2200
Coronado, Costa Rica
Tel: 506-433-8522
       506-234-2411
Fax: 506-234-2411
e-mail: [email-masked]
           [email-masked]