Combined cultures combat AIDS in Mozambican village 

‎"I still cannot fathom how difficult it was for the women I met to find out that they were HIV-positive. It is such a courageous undertaking in countries where there is still considerable stigma about the disease. They got tested to ensure that their unborn babies would have a chance of life by being born free of the virus.” 

The words of Gabriel Byrne, an Irish actor and activist, rang true in the remote Mozambican village of Sabie, Aug. 10, when service members with the U.S. Marines, Air Force, Army, and Navy, along with soldiers from the Armed Forces for the Defense of Mozambique (FADM), joined with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation during Exercise Shared Accord 2010. The combined military task force and non-governmental organization worked together tirelessly for nine days to give medical aid, HIV tests and counseling to more than 2,500 Mozambicans in three villages.

"Shared Accord 2010 is the first time Marine Forces Africa has teamed up with a non-governmental organization (NGO),” said U.S. Marine Maj. Keith Nunn, lead SA10 exercise planner for U.S. Marine Forces Africa. “We coordinated with the US Embassy and the USAID in Maputo. The significance is that we leveraged U.S. government funded (NGOs) that were already operating here to support not only our exercise’s objectives but more importantly the objectives of the U.S. government.”

The Medical Civic Assistance Program (MEDCAP) has been traveling throughout Mozambique during SA10. The team provided aid to people in the village of Tenga from Aug. 4-6, Moamba from Aug. 7-9, and Sabie from Aug. 10-12.  Besides HIV testing and counseling, the combined medical task force offered villagers general medicine, dentistry, optometry care and access to a pharmacy.  Mozambicans in Sabie began forming a line for treatment as early as 4:30 a.m. each day, and some walked for more than three hours for a chance to be seen by the medical personnel.

“All of our cultures are seamlessly joined together here for a common cause,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Paulette Schank, the MEDCAP commander with 514th Aerospace Medical Squadron. “The people here, in rural areas of Mozambique, are far from cities and transportation and do not have access to medical care. It is extremely important for us to come here and offer both testing and counseling to people who might not otherwise ever get the opportunity.”  

Schank called the combined military and civilian task force a true example of the American concept of the melting pot. She stressed that people from both different military and national cultures were working together with one mission in mind. When it seemed that Sabie might be too remote for the workers with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation to visit, she said the combined task force stepped in, helped with transportation, and set up living conditions for them. 

Nunn stated the motive of bringing the NGO on board is the realization that the U.S. military can only bring a specific set of capabilities to the MEDCAPs. There are obvious strengths and weaknesses to what a MEDCAP can provide, so by partnering with NGOs the U.S. military is able to play to its strengths while the NGO covers the weaknesses, according to Nunn.

“We work to provide treatment and prevention for pregnant women,” said Esperança Ombe, a community officer with Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. “We make sure children do not contract the virus, and we advocate for families who have HIV. This exercise has been great, because it allows us to reach people we were never able to reach before.” 

Ombe stressed the importance of the combined task force’s work. Mozambicans who have been very affected by the virus, especially in hard to contact rural areas, are especially in need of help according to Ombe. Villagers who were tested by the task force receive their results in as little as fifteen minutes. 

“The Americans have really helped get the word out,” said Hermínio Macamo, a counselor working with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. “We help one person, and the knowledge they obtain spreads to their family - then to their village. We are spreading awareness that there is help.”  

Macamo touched his heart, “The work they are doing makes my soul feel good inside.”

He believes the team is doing more than just helping people. He said they are keeping the traditions and soul of Mozambique alive. He then shared a story that had had a great personal impact. 

“We tested a woman who couldn’t walk and had to be carried in,” said Macamo. “She was scared and didn’t want to be tested, didn’t want anyone to know. It turned out she was HIV positive and so was her husband. We helped them with their medication and kept it private. Now, they are doing all of the treatment, and are on the right path. The most rewarding part was that we were able to show her the benefits, and she had her children tested. They were all negative.”  

The AIDS infection rate in Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the worst in the world. Thirty percent of the Mozambicans who have been tested by the combined task force have been HIV positive, according to Macamo.   

“I know we are doing something good for humanity here,” said U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Tim Lynch, a machine gunner with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, who has been providing security for the MEDCAP during the exercise. “It’s an awesome feeling to see people happy to get help when they enter and leave.  I know we are changing people’s lives here for the better.”  

From lance corporals in the Marine Corps to the President of the United States of America, a recognition exists that the fight against AIDS is a mission that transcends politics, judgments and religious differences. The acquired immune deficiency syndrome knows no distinction in the humans it infects.  

“Like no other illness, AIDS tests our ability to put ourselves in someone else's shoes -- to empathize with the plight of our fellow man,” said President Barack Obama. “While most would agree that the AIDS orphan or the transfusion victim or the wronged wife contracted the disease through no fault of their own, it has too often been easy for some to point to the unfaithful husband or the promiscuous youth or the gay man and say "This is your fault. You have sinned." I don't think that's a satisfactory response. My faith reminds me that we all are sinners.” 

In addition to the MEDCAP, SA10 activities include engineering projects, staff training, and small unit tactical training. The exercise is an annually scheduled, bi-lateral U.S. Africa Command-partner nation event. It is designed to build AFRICOM partner nation capacity for peace and stability operations. Previously, SA has taken place in locations such as Benin, Ghana, and Senegal. The exercise is coordinated by AFRICOM’s Marine component, U.S. Marine Forces Africa.  The exercise is scheduled to conclude on or around Aug. 13.  All troops will return to their home bases in Europe and the U.S. at the end of the exercise.