African Women in USA lead in AIDS Epidemic - Dr. Wamai
Officials of KCFA- Boston chapter pose for a picture soon after wrapping up a free health screening seminar in Lawrence, Mass. recently. Left to right is assistant chairman, James Njuguna, Josephine Nyanjui, Secretary, Samuel Mwaura, Elizabeth Mwaura, Monica Mugwe, chairlady, Anne Wilson, Caroline Mbithi, Director of Women Ministries, Caroline Mwangi and Wallace Mwangi . Front holding a baby is the Director of Youth Department, Wilson Ndiho. |
Story and pictures by Nguyaii Wa - Mbarii
AjabuAfrica News
LAWRENCE, Mass. , NOVEMBER 29_ African women in New England have been hit hard by the fast rising HIV/AIDS prevalence among Africans in the USA, according to researchers and available data.
The shocking news was revealed by a leading HIV/AIDS researcher at Northeastern University in Boston, Dr. Richard Wamai during a free health screening and financial awareness seminar held on Sunday November 14 at the Saint Paul’s community church in Lawrence.
The seminar was hosted by the Kenya Christian Fellowship in America, Boston Chapter.
Dr. Wamai said that his study, funded by Northeastern University among other notable organizations, identified several worrisome factors that are driving the fast spreading epidemic.
“The key leading driver is anonymity, where many people who have already been infected in Africa, arrive here and start engaging in sexual activities anonymously with unsuspecting people in their African community, said Dr. Wamai.
“Other HIV positive people ‘melt’ anonymously into other states where nobody knows their background and continue to wreck havoc there,” added Wamai.
Speaking the naked truth, Dr. Wamai said most Africans are living a life of "multiple concurrent", a lifestyle where the man is married but has other women whom he has sex with. According to the doctor this phenomena has served as a catalyst to the rise of HIV cases especially in the urban areas of Africa. He also said that lack of frequent reminders in the US of the dangers of HIV is fueling the epidemic among African born immigrants.
Dr. Richard Wamai, a HIV/AIDS researcher of Kenyan descent, at Northeastern University in Boston. |
“You have to really look long and hard to see any billboard anywhere warning of the dangers of HIV/AIDS,” lamented Wamai.
He added that that familes of Kenyans who have passed away of HIV/ AIDS in America are not willing to attribute the deaths to AIDS, and blame it in other opportunistic diseases like cancer, a factor that also helps increase the spread of the deadly virus.
"We need to be more open than this if we hope to contain this scourge in out population", said the well read researcher.
The study, which is highly confidential, uses the year 2007 data from state agencies that do not identify individuals by name, rather by gender and country of birth to comply with HIPAA laws.
According to Dr. Wamai, out of the 71,000 African born immigrants in Massachusetts in 2007, 615 reported being HIV positive as they went to seek medical help.
New York State, including New York City, had a population of 115,000 African born immigrants in 2007, of which 611 have HIV/AIDS while Washington DC had 10,700 people of whom 306 cases were reported.
Speaking during the seminar, Dr. Wamai told shocked participants that reliable data from different states indicate that more African born women than men are living with the HIV/AIDS virus.
Out of the 607 cases of people living with HIV in Massachusetts, 371 or 61% are women. Uganda leads the top five countries in this category followed by Kenya, Cape Verde, Cameroon, and Zimbabwe.
Of the 306 cases reported in Washington DC, 159 (52%) are women and 49.3% of all the cases are Ethiopians followed by Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda, Liberia, and Kenya with 8 cases.
There was no data by gender in New York City, but in the rest of the state 1,487 were reported of which 699 are women accounting for about 47%. Among the top five countries in this category are Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Guinea. Kenya came in at number 10 with 63 cases.
Dr. Wamai said that his study was confined to a few states in the Eastern seaboard, which means that many more Africans in other states like Texas, Georgia, Washington, California and others are living with HIV/AIDS.
“Actually, this is just the tip of an iceberg. Obviously, many more Africans live with HIV and do not have a clue that they are infected today, and even even back then , in 2007,” said Wamai.
“Since these figures were from 2007 , and were are in 2009, then you can tell the picture is actually worse than this,” he added.
Welcoming participants to the seminar, the secretary of the KCFA Boston chapter, Samuel Mwaura, said that “it was important for Kenyans to organize more seminars on different issues so that we can learn from each other.”
Sam Mwaura, Secretary of KCFA Boston |
Noting that it was very important to know what is going on around communities as people continue to suffer from lack of knowledge, Mwaura said that, "We are here to learn from each other because nobody knows everything."
He added that God wants people to “sharpen each other and remove ignorance".
Among one of the highlights of the day was a short speech by a fellow Kenyan who recently came forward in Boston and revealed that she was living with the HIV/AIDS virus.
Delphine Masonzo, spoke candidly as she emphasized that lack of information as well as ignorance was the source of new HIV infection cases among Kenyans and Africans in general. The brave mother of one was a living testimony that getting the right information which leads to better medical care and testing is critical to combat the ignorance among our population.
Mosonzo said that she lost her first child to HIV related complications as she had no clue that she was infected with the virus when she conceived.
However, after doctors found out that she was HIV positive after many tests occasioned by frequent serious ailments, Masonzo was able to get medical help which coupled with her faith and the will to live; she has lived a productive life for over 17 years.
She reminded Kenyans in America that “HIV is real" and can get anyone regardless of their color or sex. “But you can only avoid it if you utilize all resources available to you," said the speaker.
One of the event facilitator Ms Mercy Kamau, a PhD student at the University of Massachusetts, Boston (Umass Boston), spoke on how to prevent and detect Diabetes and Hypertension in the community.
Mercy Kamau , President of Afya Njema |
According to Ms. Kamau people should not assume anything when they go to see their doctors.
She told Kenyans to ask for various tests to be on the safe side.
"Be your own advocate when it comes to your health," she told the audience. Kamau is also the current president of Afya Njema, a non profit organization that recently went to Kenya to perform a community heath assessment program.
He said that according to their observations during the trip to Kenya, many Kenyans were not even aware that they have diabetes or hypertension and did not give serious consideration to the food they ate, which cause health problems.
Assisting Kamau on the heath screening presentation, Dr. Eileen Stuart, also of Umass Boston, caused laughter when she told Kenyans that she was fed up with a lot of Mukimo (a mix of mashed potatoes and peas) during their recent trip to Kenya.
“It surely tasted very delicious, but it is mainly full of too much starch,” said Dr. Eileen, when encouraging Kenyans to eat less starch and eat more fruits in order to prevent major diseases.
”We should add an exercise routine in our lives on a daily basis, have routine check up and know your blood pressure numbers,” said Dr. Stuart.
The seminar participants were also told of the importance of being financial savvy. Harrison Maina, the Ajabu Africa News publisher, presided over the financial forum of this event. He explained how people (Kenyans) have not taken advantage of the many financial vehicles available to them in the USA years after settling in the land.
Dr. Eileen Stuart of Umass Boston during the free health screening seminar for Kenyans in Mass.. |
Maina said that most Kenyans have adamantly maintained the financial mentality inherited from their forefathers in Africa such as the “merry go rounds” saving schemes practiced by most women.
He decried the procrastination by most Kenyans to purchasing real life insurance coverage as the only foundation to a sound financial game plan for any person who has any responsibility to their children, siblings or parents.
“Many young people wrongly think that they can't die easily, so they don't need life insurance. However these guys have parents and siblings who depend on them back home and they would suffer irreparable financial damage if their young one died prematurely in America", said Maina .
This year alone, over 10 Kenyans aged between 22- 35 years have passsed away in different states, forcing the community to fundraise for their burial, while leaving their parents and siblings financialyy devastated.
"This should not be happening with enlightened people", said Maina.
He added that a remedy to the concerns of the young people would be for them to purchase time life insurance that has a return of premium rider so that it serves as a saving tool in case they never die prematurely.
"Even those with medical challenges many get life insurance depending on the severity of their condition,” he added.
Indicating that he was not there to make a sales pitch, but to provide crucial information, Maina, who also runs a life insurance and investments business, said that no one can ignore life insurance anymore if they really loved their own people.
“This is the perfect time to buy term life insurance and invest the difference in America and give you a good shot at great returns on investments,” said Maina.
Anne Wilson, chairlady of KCFA Boston performing a free health screening procedure on a Kenyan lady |
The event ended with a free medical screening session where different nurses screened Kenyans for blood pressure and blood sugar, giving instant results.
“I am so impressed that people are responding well to free health screening and taking their health seriously,” said Anne Wilson, the president of KCFA Boston.
“I don’t fear anything. Let them test me. I am healthy,” said Kevin Muita, a young man who had come for the seminar from Lowell together with friends.
If you need an honest, reliable and easy to understand life insurance information, email Ajabu Africa at:
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