U of T Professor Pierre Belanger and Dr. Owens Wiwa, brother of executed Nigerian political activist and poet Ken Saro-Wiwa, are developing a mobile clinic for the education, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

Unveiled on World AIDS Day last week, the mobile clinic program addresses one of the fundamental issues concerning AIDS in Africa-accessibility. According to Belanger “[a lack of] access to information, rapid diagnostic technologies, anti-retroviral drug treatment and post-diagnostic therapy” are significant problems hindering efforts to manage and treat AIDS in Africa.

The prototype vehicle will require only minimal staff: one field doctor, three healthcare workers and one driver. It will use low-grade medical technology such as dipstick tests for the diagnosis of HIV, with potential applications to manage other viral infections such as hepatitis and malaria.

Belanger indicates that the first phase-making people aware of the program, will be essential. The vehicle has been equipped with the capacity to broadcast regional radio programs during the day and movies in the evenings on HIV and AIDS. According to Belanger, “mass media has been proven to reach more people and much faster.”

The program will eventually consist of several mobile clinics providing services to as many people as possible. As Belanger suggests, “the fleet of mobile clinics should work like a hospital turned inside out, making regular rotations in regular locations so that a cyclical system can be established.” Beyond Africa, the lessons learned will be applied to facilitate future mobile health programs in other areas of the world including China and the Middle East.

As outlined by the United Nations, World AIDS Day 2004 focuses on women and girls. In keeping with this theme, Belanger said, “the project is female-centric and female operated.”

The importance of gender inequality contributing to the AIDS epidemic and empowering women were sentiments echoed by Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis in a recent speech at U of T. Recalling tragic stories of families and entire regions decimated by the disease, Lewis spoke of the need and hope for Western involvement. Sharing this vision, Belanger and Wiwa are leading an initiative that is “not only an investment in collective well-being, but also represents a social investment in self-development, economic progress and cultural resiliency.”