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UNAIDS releases HIV/AIDS update

ONLY NICE THINGS

10:25 / 27.11.02

Not the cheeriest of documents

Number of people living with HIV/AIDS

Total 42 million

Adults 38.6 million

Women 19.2 million

Children under 15 years 3.2 million

People newly infected with HIV in 2002

Total 5 million

Adults 4.2 million

Women 2 million

Children under 15 years 800 000

AIDS deaths in 2002 Total 3.1 million

Adults 2.5 million

Women 1.2 million

Children under 15 years 610 000

In terms of the entire population of the globe, this is not an awful lot of people. On the other hand, we're still talking about 3 million deaths, and a nasty infection curve in the developing countries.

The effects, beyond actual death, of HIV/AIDS in devleoping nations is pretty hardcore. First, because medication is not generalyl available, but also because the generation expected to care for, look after, feed, clothe and teach their descendants and antecedents is dying. This is contributing to the farming crisis, and deaths from starvation are likely to increase massively because farmers are too weak to plant or reap their crops. Coudl we be looking at a point where, with HIV infection as one of the contributing factors, African nations cease to be able to administrate or govern themselves completely? Can the international community prevent that, and if not how should it react?

Meanwhile, other global trends make interesting, if scary, reading. Eastern Europe is accelerating along the infection curve at speed, whereas in the West complacency appears to have set in, quadrupling infection rates among heterosexuals in Ireland, for example. And AIDS-related causes are the largest single cause of death for African-American men between 25 and 44.

So, thoughts, really?

10:46 / 27.11.02

An immediate response rather than a considered one, but it might help things if major drug companies didn't threaten to sue governments of developing countries which try to manufacture cheaper generic drugs to help their HIV-positive and AIDS populations. The WTO strikes again...

As the report says (p.6, in the grey box): Fewer than 4% of people in need of antiretroviral treatment in low and middle-income countries were receiving the drugs at the end of 2001. And less than 10% of people with HIV/AIDS have access to palliative care or treatemnt foe opportunistic infections.

Obviously this situation has a lot to do with the fact that the epidemic is (again according to the report) associated with areas of humanitarian crisis where the health infrastructure as well as everything else is destroyed; but I don't think that's an excuse for the WHO and WTO to ignore the fact that these treatments exist and are available, and that it might be more beneficial to allow countries access to the necessary drugs (through aid programmes, I imagine) or to manufacture them.

Also obviously, this is at the level of treatment rather than prevention, which is a rather different issue and probably needs to be handled in a slightly different way.

Tryphena Absent

11:41 / 27.11.02

My immediate thought on this issue may be ridiculous but I can't help noticing that there are no red ribbons anywhere in Cardiff. Breast Cancer research is well-publicised and there is a drive to prevent it, people constantly talk about it, it's in fashion. With the levels of HIV infection rapidly rising there is no evidence of increasing public awareness or fear of catching this virus. The red ribbon is out of fashion and it's unavailable and that is pathetic.

12:01 / 27.11.02

Well, breasts are certainly more fashionable that HIV. They make better TV, at least.

In a possibly related statement from Peter Piot, the head of UNAIDS, "In Africa 58 percent of all people living with HIV are women. The face of AIDS is becoming the face of young women."

So much for stereotyping the epidemic.

pointless and uncalled for

10:19 / 30.11.02

I think one of the problems that we face with tackling HIV on a global scale is the perceived futility attached to it. In a way it will be very difficult for a developing nation to dedicate the prohibitive funds towards this problem when there is so little material return and therefore their best option becomes to sweep the issue under the carpet while they try and instate a self-sufficient economy.

As the report indicates this has about the same effect as trying to shore up the wall of a building while the roof is falling in.

I think that on a whole, in the "western" nations we lost something when the initial scare passed which allowed complacency to return. Sadly I don't think that it will be possible to return to that original state of vigilance through fear. Maybe it was less comfortable, but it was more effective.

In addition to the above we have a greater obstacle that inhibits the effectiveness of the fight against HIV. Borders. While we view the figures and plan aid on a nation by nation basis, HIV persists with none of the inhibitions. I don't think that we can really tackle a problem that has no consideration for borders, politics and passports with tools that do.

I also think that the media should be held to account for it's propogation of ignorance on the subject and be forced to work to rectify the damage that they have done. Yes that would be a breach of freedom of speech, but one that I think could easily be justified.