AIDS

Monday the first of December is world AIDS day. Nowhere is this more important than in Africa.

I remember the TV adverts of the 1980s with the slogan “Don’t die of ignorance”. In the West, we still hear stories but it is not nearly as high profile as it was, or I think should be. There is still a stigma about it. Some people wrongly believe it is confined only to gay men and intravenous drug users. In fact, due to common sense in the gay community and needle exchange programmes, the highest number of new cases are in young, sexually active heterosexuals. I will now proudly admit I was tested this year. I had been quite promiscuous and was not always careful to use condoms. I no longer fit into the “young” category but I’m still at risk. I was negative by the way. If I do get lucky with a lady or two here, I will, absolutely be using condoms. Two thirds of those in the world with HIV or AIDS live in Africa.

Wherever you look here, there are very public messages explaining the risks. A poster in the reception of Kevin and Sarah’s daughter’s school has a cartoon showing the right steps. A massive billboard in the city has slogans trying to encourage condom use. The problem here is massive. So far, over twenty million have died of AIDS in Africa. Last year 1.4 million died of AIDS and a further 1.9 million became HIV infected.

With Malaria, cases will still occur, even with precautions. It is treatable and most people are cured with drugs. With AIDS, there is no cure but prevention of spread is easy. Things like African fokelore that having sex with a virgin cures it and the Catholic Church whose workers refuse to distribute condoms are complicit in genocide on a massive scale.

I’m not going to bleat on about it endlessly. Just type “aids in Africa” into Google for more. In the time you have taken to read this, another child has just died of AIDS in Africa.

My figures come from United Nations statistics.