I write in reply to Marisa Micallef’s article Bird flu or AIDS (TMID, 15 January), in which she states that the Maltese are among the least well-informed about AIDS and HIV and that “the powers to be want it to stay that way.”
Certainly, from the recent Eurobarometer study (European Commission, 2006) carried out among EU member states, it appears that there’s still a portion of the Maltese public who are not knowledgeable enough about HIV/AIDS and its modes of transmission.
Around 10 per cent of those questioned replied that they did not believe that being injected with a contaminated needle or having unprotected sex with someone who has HIV/AIDS, is a way of contracting HIV.
Yet we need to keep in mind that this represents a minority of the population. Of course, figures are figures, and there’s no hiding that 89 per cent is less than 92 per cent or 98 per cent. Yet, rather than passing sweeping statements that we, as Maltese and Gozitans, are the least informed about this disease, it would be more fruitful to verify which sectors of the population still lack this knowledge and how best to reach them.
Unfortunately, unlike Ms Micallef, we still have a percentage of the population that lacks literary skills, or that lacks the means through which many health promotion messages are often communicated. These are important issues that the Health Promotion Department keeps in mind.
New material that is currently being designed to inform the public about sexually transmitted infections and ways of prevention is in the Maltese language and accompanied by symbols and simple diagrams to facilitate comprehension. The department is also working on reaching out to minority groups in the population with the help of non-governmental organisations.
Young people represent a high-risk group for STIs including HIV/AIDS. While sustaining our work in schools both at the secondary as well as post-secondary and tertiary level, we recognise that not all young people will be reached within an education institution. We are therefore also working with organisations to reach young people at the place of work and in the community.
The department also believes that education on sexual health is not just the playing field of teachers and health officials. Education starts at home and should support all that the children acquire through other educators. Meetings and talks with parents have already been carried out and more are planned especially for parents whose children are in the phase of early adolescence.
Ms Micallef also writes about the “Maltese ostrich” which, I admit, is a phenomenon that exists. And this is encouraged by the current status quo of Maltese culture that lists anything sexual as taboo – including communication and education. Information disseminated in an environment which is not ready to grasp, it is like seeds thrown on a barren land!
We, as in Maltese and Gozitans, prefer to amaze ourselves with numbers and figures rather than embrace the facts or acknowledge the risks. We know that 40 million people are infected with HIV but refuse to talk to our children about sex, sit down with them and provide skills on how to delay and refuse sex and the importance of planning for condom use.
Indeed we may not be the most informed about HIV/AIDS, yet information alone won’t save us from this calamity. Health promotion needs a receptive audience if we’re aiming to achieve any positive behavioural change.
Elaine Dutton
Health Promotion Officer
Health Promotion Department