AIDS In Africa Mostly Caused By Unprotected Sex... (5)
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Dear Colleagues,
There is a serious unreality about the dialog...... and I am not
sure I understand why otherwise intelligent people would not un-
derstand and appreciate the issue about the unreality.
As I understand it, the reason for medical studies is to help
figure out a way to solve the medical problem.
So let's start with West Nile Disease..... there is evidence of
West Nile in birds in Connecticut and Virginia (two States in
the U.S.A.)...... around $100 million is used to spray so that
mosquitoes do not have a chance to spread the disease. Not to-
tally successful and one (1) American dies.
As I understand it some 7,000 Africans die every day as a result
of AIDS related issues. Yes..... I think.... 7,000 every day.
The academical community is hanging up because they cannot agree
on whether or not it is sex or unsafe medical practices that are
the dominant cause.
Who the #&%$ cares. The bottom line is that while the American
academics pontificate the African dies. In some circles what is
going on would be described as a crime against humanity.......
and crimes of this magnitude need to be taken seriously.... re-
member Nuremburg.
I am interested in the outcome of the academic analysis. But
while the academic analysis is going on I want to see resources
being used in the best possible way to help get some progress in
the fight against HIV-AIDS and other critical diseases.
Let me draw attention to the amount of money that is available
for ALL public sector health initiatives in Africa. It is proba-
bly 2 or 3 orders of magnitude less than in the USA. That is 100
times or 1,000 times smaller per capita. The issue is not the
availability of cat-scan technology... it is the availability of
aspirins and antibiotics.... and the single use of syringes....
and the single use of latex gloves (as for example in child-
birth)
Most academics writing in the USA seem to have no concept what-
soever of the shortage regime that prevails in most health sys-
tems around the world. Journalists write about it from time to
time....... but development experts (World Bank, IMF, USAID,
UNICEF, WHO, UNAIDS, UNDP etc., etc.,) fail to highlight this
issue beyond rather modest plaintive calls for incremental re-
sources..... or totally unrealistic multi-billion dollar pro-
grams such as the recent WHO 5-3 program.
I happen to think that Dr. Gisselquist has a very good point. It
fits with my own observations in Africa over a period from 1974
to today.... and it fits feedback I have been getting from prac-
titioners who report multiple use of "one use" equipment and
supplies. The best hospitals in South Africa maintain stan-
dards... they have the money...... but who can maintain stan-
dards with no money. It's my bet that I could put together a
correlation between funds available and service quality to the
target users. But nobody is going to ask me because nobody wants
to know.
Please, please, please........ lets get real and deal with real-
ity. The health and HIV-AIDS crisis is huge. $10 billion a year
would have an impact. Yes... work on sex transmission and social
behavior.... educate communities (especially communities where
men travel).... improve medical procedures (including safe in-
jection practices)..... yes, condoms....... yes abstinence......
yes monogamy AND YES more money for basics that have nothing to
do with HIV-AIDS and the health sector. More food and nutrients,
more jobs, more education, cleaner water, etc.,etc.,
It is amazing what can get done if the money goes to the right
places. We are starting to document the good and the bad. The
results of this effort are going to surprise a lot of people.
But more important, the value of this information will be huge.
In some haste... its late... but I think this needs to get said.
For more information contact me mailto:peterb@earthlink.net
Sincerely,
Peter Burgess
ATCnet in New York
Tel: + 1-212-772-6918
mailto:peterb@afrifund.com
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