The Daily IIJ

A convicted paedophile diagnosed with HIV has been sentenced to just three years’ imprisonment for child sexual abuse. Twenty six year old Irushaad Moosa from Meemu Atoll Mulaku (Maldives) was initially arrested in august 2009 as he was caught ‘red handed’ having sex with a minor girl.

Since this case emerged in November 2009, panic and fear continue to gloom over the residents of this island as they believed that he had sex with more than one girl. On 6th November 2009 a senior island official told me on the phone that they’re unaware of exactly how many he had sex with.

“I saw his statement where he admitted to have sex with his girl friend and several others. His girl friend is being tested for HIV and we haven’t got the results yet” on 6th November 2009, a senior official told me on the phone.

According to reports he was found positive for HIV six years ago, soon after his trip to Bangkok. Later he was sent to his native island and he lived there a “normal” life.

Fear and anger mounted as more facts emerged from his statement to Maldives police. In the statement Moosa, who is in critical condition admitted that he had sex with ‘more’ than one girl.

“This is disturbing news that is expected to break the silence of the people. It is indeed a very sad thing. We don’t know how much this would cost us” a senior island official told me.

Negligence or deliberate spread!

As the islanders fear, no one could exactly say how many people from the island could have been infected with HIV virus as it is possible for them to have “sexual contacts” with those that are not infected. Even though Moosa was sent to his island when he was found positive for HIV five years ago, health officials failed to inform the island office and they did not monitor him. When I asked if the ministry of health informed the concerned government bodies at the island, senior official of the island replied,

“The ministry of health or any government body has not informed us of it in anyway. We got to know through rumors and self observation” he said.

The permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health and Family Dr. Sheena Moosa said to a local news paper that they reported a ‘suspected case’ to Maldives police service. It could not be verified that she was referring to this particular case.

Even though the question remains whether this was a case of negligence or deliberate spread of AIDS, a survey report revealed in November 2008, by Maldives Department of Health in conjunction with UNICEF and the World Health Organization, said that the Maldives is “highly vulnerable” to an HIV/AIDS epidemics and that the government [previous government] failed to “acknowledge” the HIV/AIDS threat in the Maldives. The survey states that the country is characterized by “high risk and vulnerability and low prevalence.” In the report it is stated that out of a total of 1791 high-risk participants; an estimated 0.5% of the total population, one was found to be HIV positive, indicating prevalence may be higher than previously indicated. According to the survey report unprotected sex is common in the Maldives. And it also showed three quarters of men having sex with men also had sex with women, while 44 percent of them from the capital city, Male’, sell sex and 49 percent buy sex.

This just could have been the tip of the iceberg. With incidence such as these, the anticipated prevalence of this dreadful disease now may be unfathomable without much needed research. The number of unreported cases could be enormous, since thousands of Maldivians frequently visit the neighboring countries where prevalence and incidence of HIV infections is amongst the worlds highest. The previous government might have failed to anticipate this threat; however the incumbent government needs to take strong and concrete actions to tackle the situation. If the spread of the infection is as much as those of the neighboring countries, it would not take an environmental calamity to destroy the Maldives, since the disease would have already taken its toll upon our lives.