JEDDAH, 7 August 2005 — The AIDS problem at present is a minor problem. The Ministry of Health is working to get information about the deadly disease to the public, but some cultural and religious concerns are making its task more difficult.
The ministry makes available information to hospitals and schools to increase awareness about the disease. At the same time, it cannot force hospital administrators to put the brochures in plain view, nor can it force school principals to use the provided educational documentaries.
“Information about and public awareness of this epidemic is scarce inside the Kingdom. What the public lacks is an understanding and knowledge about this disease,” a doctor based in a Jeddah clinic, said on condition of anonymity.
The risk of infection by AIDS can be reduced by simple preventative measures. BioMed Central (BMC), an independent publishing house that provides immediate free access to peer-reviewed biomedical research, has found an increase in the number of infected citizens from 84 to 142 per year over five years, and this is a clear example of the trend.
The numbers of AIDS patients in Saudi Arabia are currently low, which creates an opportunity to act before AIDS reaches more critical level that some other countries now face. Awareness programs are needed in schools, universities, and more hospitals. In order for the public to avoid this plague, they should be aware of the potential threat.
In the Kingdom as in the rest of the world, AIDS is transmitted through marital and extramarital sex, maternal transmission, intravenous drug use, and blood transfusions. Here in the Kingdom the disease mainly affects males between the ages of 20 and 40, as BMC has found, and this represents a total of 74.6 percent of the infected citizens.
Most local, public and private schools in the Kingdom do not provide student-awareness programs. A former headmistress at a public school said that the Ministry of Health provides informational documentaries on AIDS. It is, however, up to the principal to decide if the students should watch the documentary or not.
“It would be informative to have these programs,” said a student from a private school in Jeddah. According to BMC, AIDS exists in Saudi Arabia. Out of six hospitals contacted by Arab News, five either dismissed inquiries or would not provide any answers concerning AIDS awareness programs or care hospitals. In addition, none of the doctors or nurses contacted were willing to have their names published, which perhaps illustrates the sensitivity of this subject.
AIDS information should not be a delicate topic.
According to BMC’s research study on infectious diseases in Saudi Arabia, AIDS patients are referred to tertiary care governmental HIV specialized centers, where HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) is available. “The Ministry of Health distributes brochures on AIDS to local hospitals, which should be found in waiting rooms,” as a doctor in a local private hospital in Jeddah added.
Another doctor noted that the numbers of infected patients are automatically sent to the Ministry of Health where they remain unidentified. BMC has found that the highest rates of AIDS exists in Jeddah and Makkah, even though AIDS cases have been reported throughout the Kingdom.
A doctor based in a Jeddah clinic said the most common way of transmission is through young men who travel abroad and bring back the disease, passing it on to their wives and unborn children.
Non-marital intercourse is prohibited in Islamic societies, but it remains the most common way of transmission of the disease. At some point, Saudi society may have to struggle with questions, such as whether the promotion of “safe sex” practices is encouragement of sexual promiscuity or vital in a world where a silent, viral killer lurks around the corner, waiting for its next victim.
“People shy away from issues like this, and they don’t ask questions,” said one woman. “So it’s better for them to get credible sources of information coming from hospitals and the government.”
Expatriates dominate the number of HIV infected people in Saudi Arabia forming 78.7 percent of the total number of patients, as calculated between 1984 and 2001 by BMC. The government has identified this problem and is taking measures to minimize the rate of infected expatriates working in the Kingdom. A prerequisite for employment in Saudi Arabia is being HIV tested, in their homeland. In theory, they are routinely tested for HIV every two years prior to the renewal of their residence permits.
BMC said if expatriates are found infected, they are treated within the Kingdom for any critical conditions after which they are returned to their homeland. But even in the medical community, there is a fear of the disease.
A doctor based in Jeddah described how nurses in the clinic he works in were extremely careful and fearful of testing and dealing with patients who have AIDS.
In two major hospitals where the nurses were asked for consultations for AIDS patients, the response in both cases was “Go to the emergency room.” Another nurse in a leading hospital, when asked where an AIDS patient would go replied, “AIDS? What AIDS?” After clarification, she also said: “Go to the emergency room.”
Pushing the problem away also happens to the infected, who often ignore the symptoms only seeking medical help when the disease has reached a critical level, one Jeddah physician said. He said that might be a result of social stigma associated with the disease.
There is an idealized view of a perfect society where AIDS would not exist, but the figures paint a reality that will require the help of the medical community and school administrators for the Ministry of Health to combat this disease most effectively. It’s a problem that won’t go away — and cannot be ignored.
