He broke the silence, gave HIV at workplace a positive face

Nov 23, 2009

I have bad and good news for you. Bad news because you are infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS. Good news because there is medication that can help extend longevity of your life,” the doctor broke the nerve-chilling news to Elvis Basudde. After

This year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the people nominated by the public will be published everyday, until the end of November

By Arthur Baguma

I have bad and good news for you. Bad news because you are infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS. Good news because there is medication that can help extend longevity of your life,” the doctor broke the nerve-chilling news to Elvis Basudde. After a lull of silence the doctor, added: “If I told you you were HIV-positive 10 years ago, it would have been bad news because there were either no anti-retroviral drugs or they were unaffordable.”

Soon after receiving the news seven years ago, Basudde rapidly lost weight. Within a month, the man who weighed 80kg had shrunk to 36kg. He became increasingly weak. He fell clinically sick with full-blown AIDS. “I was in a mess. I looked at my body and saw a stranger. My face was sunken and I became a skeleton,” Basudde remembers.

His condition continued to deteriorate in spite of the efforts of the most qualified doctors at the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) where he had been admitted. He underwent a brain scan which revealed his brain had shrunk. He was feeding through stomach tubes. He became unconscious for a week and relatives and friends were convinced he was going to die.

But on his death bed, Basudde made a decision that was his first step on a journey to recovery. He declared his status publicly going down into archives as the first journalist in East and Central Africa to declare his HIV status.

Basudde survived to see the next day and he is still counting. Today, he demonstrates no trace of his former condition. “My CD4 cell count has risen from 31 to 500,” Basudde says, as he goes about his daily work normally.

“I have been able to live because I refused to interprete my condition as terminal. I also learnt to live positively. The first thing I did was to accept the infection as part of my life.”

To many, he is an inspiration. A university student who had contemplated committing suicide changed her mind after reading Basudde’s testimony in 2002. She said her suffering was nothing compared to what Basudde had gone through.

“His testimony is an inspiring piece on how infected people can continue to live positively. The man’s love for fellow humans is touching. You can see it in the way he went public over the calamity. His advice to the youth to avoid contracting the disease is invaluable,” says David Kivumi.

Another beneficiary wrote: “He is undoubtedly a big inspiration, especially to people living with HIV/AIDS as well as relatives and friends of those who have been traumatised by the scourge. This is a challenge to those who infect others well knowing their status.”

Because of the young people’s vulnerability, Basudde advises: “You need to have a plan to protect yourselves from unsafe sex. Put abstinence first or use a condom. Never trust anyone else in life and never have a sexual relationship with anyone before testing for HIV.”

He adds: “For those already infected with the virus, do not lose hope because HIV is not a death sentence. Be a fighter, do not think about how you got the virus or who gave it to you. What matters is your present. Tell others about your status and join networks of people living with HIV/AIDS.”

Basudde is not only living with HIV/AIDS but has openly declared his sero status. He has encouraged thousands to prevent HIV infection not only in his community but globally. He has written many compelling stories on HIV/AIDS.

“His testimonies are inspiring. I was particularly inspired and changed by Basudde’s personal testimony, which was published in 2005,” Prossy Luzige, a woman living with the virus says.

In the above mentioned testimony, Basudde says he publicly disclosed his sero status because he wanted to give a face to HIV, especially among professionals. To let them know that with good care, love, and treatment, one can still enjoy a good degree of health and even continue practising their profession.

Basudde does HIV advocacy by writing and sensitising people about HIV and helping reduce stigma and denial. Consequently, he won the Noerean Award for breaking the silence at the workplace. This is an award given to individuals who have broken the silence on HIV/AIDS at their workplace and made a contribution to their community.

He was among the pioneer 25 graduates of Positive Prevention (PP) training in Uganda and graduated as a peer/community educator. PP is a programme that puts individuals living with HIV at the forefront of reducing the transmission of the virus, a strategy that focuses on the HIV-positive individuals to prevent new infections and maintain their well being. The positive-living advocate has gone to schools, markets and in the community to sensitise the people about the dangers of AIDS.

Basudde who was once confined to a wheel chair for two years (200-2002) and deserted by his wife when he seriously fell sick, is gain living a normal life. A journalist by profession, he is always in office by 6:00am and leaves late. His colleagues at The New vision describe him as hard working and jolly.

Basudde says: “Stigmatisation should be fought against. Any one can contract HIV/AIDS...”

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHT
- Attended Narambai Primary School, Jinja, Nyenga Primary School, then Light College Katikamu for O’ Level, and St. Bernard’s College, Kiswera, Masaka for A’ Level. He joined Kenyatta University for a diploma & degree in education
- Diploma in Journalism, Radio and Television at the Institute of Business and Media Studies, Kampala
- Registered by the Teachers Service Commission, Nairobi and taught in different secondary schools for 10 years
- Contributed written material on the syllabus making committee for the Kenya Ministry of Education for 8:4:4 education system
- Supervised and marked the Kenya Certificate of Education

HIV/AIDS EXPERIENCE
- President the Global Alliance of HIV-Positive Journalists formed in 2005.
- Represented Uganda during the “Editorial Conference on HIV/AIDS” in Lusaka, Zambia in 2005
- Presented a paper at the ICASA Conference held in Abuja, Nigeria IN 2005
- Co-founded “Positive Voices Programme,” a platform for HIV-positive people to openly discuss their issues in 2006.
- Attended major HIV/AIDS conferences in over 20 countries l He is the publicity secretary of Positive Men’s Union in Uganda
- He is a partner with Action Aid and PANOS Eastern Africa

FACT FILE
Name: Elvis Basudde
DATE OF BIRTH: Early 1960’s with nine siblings but lost five to AIDS
Status: Married with five children
CONTRIBUTION:
He does HIV advocacy by writing and sensitising people about HIV and helping reduce stigma
LOCATION: Kiryowa, Njeru Town Council

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