Aids in Africa
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AIDS IN AFRICA: DESPAIR AND DENIAL Introduction A human tragedy of immense propor- financial resources to the worldwide Focus tions is engulfing the countries of sub- struggle against the disease than ever This CBC News in Saharan Africa. This area of the world before. More people in poor countries Review story exam- ines the human has become the epicentre of the global were able to access the antiretroviral catastrophe that is HIV/AIDS epidemic. Millions have drugs necessary to combat the debilitat- currently engulfing already died; countless millions more ing effects of the disease. Nonetheless, sub-Saharan Africa, are infected with the deadly virus and millions around the world were still where millions are face a short lifespan, immense suffer- dying of AIDS every year, and millions dying of AIDS. It ing, and despair. Throughout 2005, of new cases were still being reported. offers an overview of the scope of the international attention was captured by This was occurring despite a massive crisis and focuses natural disasters such as the Asian educational campaign designed to reach on one country’s tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the earth- those in poor countries who were struggle to deal quake in Kashmir, and the huge toll of unfamiliar with the causes of HIV/ with the epidemic. human suffering these events caused. AIDS and how they could protect It also profiles the efforts of countries Western countries and individual do- themselves against it. The situation was and individuals to nors alike contributed generously to especially bleak in sub-Saharan Africa, provide assistance assist the many victims of these disas- where 60 per cent of the estimated 40.3 to the millions of ters, whose plight was regularly por- million people affected by HIV around victims of this trayed in the mass media. But the HIV/ the world were living. In 2005 alone, deadly disease. AIDS crisis in Africa, while afflicting almost 2.5 million adults and children many times the number of those who in Africa had died, and another three Further Research suffered from these other disasters, has million were infected. Along with its For more detailed strangely attracted far less concern. Yet huge human toll in death and suffering, information about it is potentially the greatest epidemic of the disease was also creating a major HIV/AIDS visit the a deadly disease to strike the planet in economic, social, and political crisis in World Health human history. Not since the Black the countries it was affecting. Life Organization’s HIV Death that swept away at least a third of spans were plummeting, already-scarce site at www.who.int/ Europe’s population in the middle of financial and human resources were topics/hivinfections/ the 14th century or the Spanish Flu that straining to the breaking point, health- en/ and AIDS ORG killed between 20 and 50 million world- care facilities were barely coping. A at www.aids.org. wide at the end of the First World War whole generation of young Africans— has the world faced such a peril. The potentially the future of its continent— potential impact of the HIV/AIDS was being carried off before it could YV Sections epidemic on Africa and the rest of the even reach maturity. Countries such as marked with this world could extend far beyond the Botswana, previously one of Africa’s symbol indicate content suitable for death toll of millions, affecting eco- greatest successes in terms of its eco- younger viewers. nomic, social, and political trends on a nomic and social development, were global scale for the 21st century and facing a very depressing future, as at beyond. least one-quarter of the country’s In its 2005 year-end report on the population was expected to die of AIDS HIV/AIDS epidemic, the United Na- before 2010. tions reported that wealthy Western Largely as a response to the growing countries were devoting far greater HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, the leaders CBC News in Review • January 2006 • Page 31 of the G8 countries met in Scotland in certs generated, it remained to be seen Did you know . July 2005 to reach an agreement on just how serious the commitment of the About 25 million how best to help the continent deal with wealthy Western countries to Africa’s people have died of AIDS since it was its immense problems. Under the lead- plight really was. first discovered in ership of British Prime Minister Tony Meanwhile, as they waited for the 1981. Blair, and with the enthusiastic backing much-anticipated promises of Western of Canada’s Paul Martin, the leaders help to become a reality, the people of pledged themselves to contributing sub-Saharan Africa continued to deal billions of dollars to a UN-administered with the daily effects of the catastrophe. Millennium Development Fund for It is surely no accident that the global Africa. They also expressed a willing- centre of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is ness to negotiate terms under which the also by far the poorest area of the poorest African countries could be world. By every measure, this part of relieved of at least part of the steep Africa lags far behind the rest of the payments of their foreign debts, which world in its economic and social devel- are crippling their economies. opment. Even without the added burden But at the same time, they rejected of this deadly disease, Africa’s prob- demands from non-governmental lems would already be huge. But as humanitarian groups involved in the long as millions are dying of this dis- struggle against HIV/AIDS that they ease, while those who are not struggle boost their countries’ foreign aid contri- to cope with its devastating effects, the butions to a minimum of 0.7 of their future for most of Africa appears very gross domestic product (GDP) by 2015. bleak indeed. How long can the rest of To activists such as Canada’s Stephen the world remain in a state of comfort- Lewis, the UN special AIDS represen- able denial about the sheer magnitude tative to Africa, pop stars Bob Geldof, of this tragedy despite calls for immedi- the promoter of the Live 8 concerts, and ate action by activists like Stephen U-2’s Bono, long an advocate of greater Lewis? This is a question on many assistance to poor countries, this was an minds as HIV/AIDS continues to exact appalling failure. Despite all the public- its terrible toll of human suffering and ity the conference and the Live 8 con- despair. To Consider 1. Why is the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa such a serious matter for international concern? Why has it received less attention than other recent natural disasters in Asia and elsewhere? 2. How have the leaders of the G8 countries responded to the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa? What criticisms have been made of the extent of their response? 3. Why does the HIV/AIDS epidemic cast such a dark shadow over the future prospects of the countries and peoples of sub-Saharan Africa? 4. What role do you think Canada should play in this global health issue? CBC News in Review • January 2006 • Page 32 AIDS IN AFRICA: DESPAIR AND DENIAL YV Video Review Answer the ques- Part A: Gathering Information tions in the spaces 1. Describe the “good news” and the “bad news” in the United Nations’ provided. 2005 year-end report on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Did you know . Of the approxi- mately 40 million people suffering from AIDS, 90 per 2. What region of the world has the HIV/AIDS epidemic affected most seri- cent of them live in ously? What statistics support this conclusion? poor, developing countries. 3. How many people does AIDS kill in Zambia every day? __________________ What is the average life expectancy for a Zambian as a result of the epi- demic? ________________________ 4. What is the population of the Zambian town of Mongu? ________________ How many beds does the local hospital have? ____________ 5. What items essential for the proper functioning of a health-care facility does the Mongu hospital lack? 6. What type of drugs can suppress the AIDS virus? ______________ How do they work? Why can most AIDS victims in Zambia not obtain them? 7. What additional financial pressure does having a relative suffering from AIDS place on already poor Zambian families? 8. What is the attitude of the local religious figures to the spreading epi- demic of HIV/AIDS in Zambia? What is the response of the filmmaker to this opinion? 9. Why are many young Zambians who are infected with HIV/AIDS reluctant to take precautions to protect their potential sexual partners? CBC News in Review • January 2006 • Page 33 Part B: Discussing and Responding Form groups to discuss and formulate a response to the following statements made by the filmmaker or local Zambians about the HIV/AIDS epidemic cur- rently sweeping that African country. (These are taken from the video itself.) 1. “There is no reason for using a condom once I am HIV—I’m dying.” 2. “HIV is one of the incurable diseases. The Lord wants us to talk about it in Church today. Me, I don’t support the issue of condoms, because that has been made by man. Man shall not protect this. And so it is only God. So the only protection measure, according to the Bible, is to stick to Jesus.” 3. “I cannot believe that in this continent, in this day and age, in the middle of this epidemic, anyone would advise merely abstinence as a credible solution.” 4.