Investing in sign language to fight HIV/Aids

By Elizabeth Mwai

Despite losing his hearing ability 39 years ago, Peter Ondiege has surprised many with his urge to rise above the odds.

Today he has enrolled for a counselling course with a view to helping the deaf who are infected or affected by HIV and Aids.

After witnessing immense suffering of the deaf grappling with HIV and Aids in silence, Ondiege decided to enrol in a sign language HIV/Aids counselling training offered by the Kenya Association of Professional Counsellors (KAPC).

"Deaf people believe that there is no confidentiality when they go to VCT so some opt to keep away," says Ondiege.

He says the limitation in counselling the deaf makes it hard to convince them to attend VCT centres.

Training on Voluntary Counselling and Testing of deaf people is set to change the rate of HIV spread among this community.

Suffering in silence

Ondiege notes that deaf people suffer silently in society due to the inadequate number of counsellors who can offer them guidance.

Low publicity on the VCT options for the deaf, says Ondiege, lands them at centres for the hearing where they do not get adequate help.

He says once a deaf person goes to a VCT centre and they are not served well, it becomes another missed opportunity to identify new cases of HIV.

Currently Ondiege says there are only two VCT centres for the deaf in Nairobi and Kisumu while the one at Mombasa collapsed.

"I think there should be more funding for deaf people’s welfare organisations that particularly deal with HIV issues if we are to tackle the spread of this disease," says Ondiege.

KAPC training officer Daniel Ochient says the organisation is carrying out a HIV Testing and Counselling (HTC) project for the deaf in Njiru, Kasarani and Embakasi districts in Nairobi.

Kenyan sign language

"People with disabilities are just as much if not more at risk of HIV infection as able bodied people," noted Ochient.

He said they have trained and placed in four heath facilities ten deaf HTC counsellors and ten health care workers.

The training of health care workers focuses on basic Kenyan Sign Language and interpretation.

Ochient noted that there are few deaf friendly VCTs in the country.

The situation is further aggravated by the fact that most health workers do not know sign language hence compromising confidentiality, as an interpreter must be engaged.

Hiring an interpreter comes at a fee, which is passed on to the deaf client making it expensive to the person yet the same service is offered free to the hearing, he noted.

"Most deaf people are reluctant to seek VCT services as there are no deaf post test and support groups," said KAPC.Ochient said KAPC has designed courses to address training, sign language and interpretation for health care workers, awareness and sensitisation in order to build capacity to address the plight of the deaf.

About 110 deaf counsellors have been trained in order to better tackle problems affecting the deaf.

Currently the Government is grappling with a high rate of HIV infection of 100,000 new cases annually.