[afro-nets] Through a glass darkly - the prism of AIDS

[John Kiwanuka Ssemakula <jssemakula@medilinkz.org>]

Through a glass darkly - the prism of AIDS
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by John Kiwanuka Ssemakula
July 1st 2004

"In Africa, it increasingly appears that health and health re-
lated problems are only really given serious attention when
viewed through the prism of HIV/AIDS. And the prism of HIV/AIDS
is dark indeed, with little or no good news."

For over two decades years the HIV/AIDS epidemic has stubbornly
refused to yield to the best efforts of thousands of research-
ers, scientists, doctors and other health personnel. In that
time the victories have been few and far between, a mere handful
to date. Despite the best efforts science has had to offer, only
a small percentage of people are on treatment, the drugs though
cheap are still toxic, must be taken carefully and only keep the
virus at bay. We are no nearer to creating a vaccine; a cure ap-
pears to be wishful thinking.

According to the World Health Report 2004, HIV/AIDS is the most
important health problem in the world and needs our attention.
HIV/AIDS has effects that go far beyond the mere affected indi-
vidual. "HIV/AIDS is changing the structure of populations lead-
ing to increased dependency ratios in many African countries;
The crisis of children having lost either or both parents to
HIV/AIDS has been afflicting Africa for a decade, and will get
worse; the education sector is suffering as the loss of teachers
exceeds those being trained' In low-income countries which were
already suffering from a lack of health care workers, health
care systems are overburdened."

HIV/AIDS diverts a great deal of resources, as people living
with AIDS, their relatives and extended family, governments and
society as a whole struggle to with the pandemic. HIV/AIDS has
become so monolithic in the public health arena, that it is now
warping the surroundings it appears in. It eclipses all other
diseases.

And this is having unwanted and potentially dangerous effect of
diverting attention and resources from other pressing concerns
that are just as devastating in terms debility and mortality as
HIV, but actually have treatment, cures and prevention methods
that have been proven to work. A number of studies have already
shown that AIDS is contributing to the mortality of patients who
would have other wise survived.

In Africa, it increasingly appears that health and health re-
lated problems are only really given serious attention when
viewed through the prism of HIV/AIDS. And the prism of HIV/AIDS
is dark indeed, with little or no good news.

For example, food security when mentioned is now often viewed in
the context of HIV/AIDS. Or take the Global Fund, launched amid
much fan fair as the "The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculo-
sis and Malaria"; you could be forgiven for thinking it only
really refers to AIDS. When was the last time you heard malaria
or tuberculosis mentioned - was it Malaria Day or World TB Day?
And even then HIV/AIDS was lurking in the background, looming
over everything.

Read the complete article at:
http://medilinkz.org/Features/Articles/july2004/aidsdarkly.asp

Dr. John Kiwanuka Ssemakula
mailto:jssemakula@medilinkz.org