Abstract
Many people between the ages of 20 and 50, who are of working age, are being diagnosed and dying of AIDS in third world countries at an alarming rate. Children are being left orphaned at younger ages and also being left to fend for themselves, while others are being raised by elderly family members who don’t always have money to feed them. This disease has got to be put in its place or stopped before it kills more.
Billions of American dollars have been allocated as well as donated from large companies and private firms to help stop the spread of AIDS and HIV, especially for the poor countries like South Africa. The process has got to begin from the bottom and work up to help as many people as possible, instead, there seems to be a backward process that has created a downward spiral in healthcare in these poor countries. Hospitals and clinics need to be put in places where there are none at this time and medical personnel must be properly trained to handle the large amounts of cases that will come through these many facilities. After the hospitals, clinics, doctors, and nurses are set in place, then organized help can work better to help the patients coming through their facilities. A proper agreement must be made by the government of each country being helped along with the many organizations coming in to volunteer and guide the workers in each facility. Understanding is the key for both the governments and the many organizations that have been helping third world countries for over 25 years.
Lastly, pharmaceutical companies need to donate more medicines and lower their costs, so that more AIDS patients can afford to pay for a portion of their meds. This way they will continue to live the rest of their lives comfortably and be able to provide for their families while they are still able to.
Global Issues
While reading through the numerous articles on HIV/AIDS in third world and poorer countries, one thing stood out. Many people are dying because there is either no money to purchase medicine, no education to help prevent the spreading of HIV/AIDS, or just plain ignorance on the government’s part. Where should one begin to ask for money, help, or even an ear to hear one out? Religious, activists and research groups are still in the fight on who would be the right leader to bring justice in these poorer countries like South Africa. Someone must step up and fight for the same medical care rights as people have in the US. It is not right to see people in Africa, India, or China dying of treatable diseases because they are not being diagnosed in a timely manner or simply because the medicine is not affordable to many. Not only must we have a vaccine to cure this deadly disease, but we must get more involved in helping out where it is needed without letting another death go unnoticed.
Although AIDS is the root of the problem, it is not the only thing killing many of the poor in Africa and Asia. Because of their weak immune systems due to HIV people are dying of TB and other infections. Billions of dollars are being spent by private donors to help prevent the spread of AIDS, but only 2 million people are receiving the help. Millions of other people are being diagnosed with the disease faster than help is being given. Not only are there too many infected to treat, the prices of HIV/AIDS drug treatments are unaffordable. Advocates like Erick Sawyer have criticized pharmaceutical companies for pricing the drugs for treatment so high that only 5% of the people are able to receive treatment (Masci 811).
It is obvious that treatment of the disease must be streamlined, but education is equally important. In Luo, Kenya some members of a local tribe are starting to believe that not circumcising the men is a part of the reason AIDS and other diseases have spread faster and killed more members than in some of the other tribes in the area. Still, their council elders are refusing to change their traditions that could prevent the spread of AIDS by as much as 60%. In other parts of Africa, women have no rights and are unable to protect themselves from getting HIV/AIDS try to get medical help and are sometimes thrown out of their homes and at times even beaten when they try to get medical help (Bristol 891). We must find a culturally appropriate way to educate these people so that they will accept our help.
Funding is another area that needs scrutiny. Public AIDS experts have expressed that maybe some of the money for HIV/AIDS help should be allotted more broadly than just for HIV/AIDS. Perhaps in strengthening health systems, improving living conditions for women and general development could help in slowing illness and death. Other organizations, like PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) have been criticized for using their well-equipped facilities to help with HIV/AIDS patients and not attending others suffering from other diseases. Some information may not be 100% accurate, but the US Global AIDS coordinator claims that 50% of hospital admissions in some areas are for HIV/AIDS related care. Reducing those admissions through PEPFAR –funded prevention and treatment frees up resources for other diseases. Help in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS has also shown to be a cost saver over a 10 year period, an estimated savings of over $4,700 in the long run (Bristol 895).
Even though findings show that AIDS prevention efforts help, organizations like PATH are worried that using money to help in prevention will slowly take away from money being used towards medical care for HIV/AIDS infected people. As in the US, too many groups are involved and the affected people are slowly becoming forgotten within the arguments of different organizations. In the meantime more women are being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Africa and other poor countries that have a shortage in health workforce and physicians. More money is being asked for in order to hand out more condoms and teach the young girls how to prevent the spreading of sexually transmitted diseases. There is not enough in the funds to treat as well as educate and donations are sorely needed.
While it has become more difficult to raise money for prevention and aid programs, billions have been received from multiple organizations. Unfortunately funds have found yet another wall in poorer areas because it is difficult to get help to and provide clean water and sterile environments to properly treat people. This means there is treatment available but no facility to carry out the treatment. In other cases treatment is available but the people who need help won’t accept it. The issue, according to UNAIDS in preventing the spread of the virus, is that some tribes still allow polygamy. UNAIDS is trying to figure out how to teach prevention in their culture without possibly offending them. Some studies are still in the works before approaching this issue.
Misunderstanding is not only a problem between Africans and the US. Groups of dissention are a major problem within the USA itself. Along with their medical facilities, PEPFAR has implemented ABC program (Abstinence, Be Faithfull, and Condom use), yet conservative groups argue that handing out condoms only enforces the idea that sex is ok. The major problem that conservatives feel with this approach is it may cause confusion within the younger groups. One must look at countries like Uganda and Thailand to see how well this program has worked (Masci 812).Even the conservative groups can’t argue, Rev. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, feels more religious values need to be taught all over the world, while Richard Laing of Boston University’s School of Public Health says “condoms are only one part of the equation because you must also change sexual practices in order to succeed”. Uganda and Thailand have both been able to use a combination of religion, abstinence, along with safe sex and both countries have found that girls are waiting longer to have sex (Masci 817-818). Despite the major success of these programs there has still been a decline in some funding for these safe sex programs.
Education is not the only hot issue. Aids groups are also upset that PAPFAR has no needle exchange program implemented for drug users; this may also help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Maurice Middleburg, V.P. for public policy at the Global Health Council, said even though these many donors and organizations mean well, they should let the professionals do their job and stop throwing ideas out to local government officials (Bristol 896). The organizations throwing out their ideas are slowing down the aid process from getting to the proper people. Therefore, even though ideas such as needle exchange may be helpful, there is not enough organizations to implement everything.
Aside from organizational problems, poor healthcare infrastructure is also being blamed by pharmaceutical companies and other organizations. They are claiming that about 95% of people with the virus don’t know they have it because of the lack of doctors, nurses and hospitals or clinics to treat them. Some of these issues have been caused by “Endemic Government Corruption” (Masci 815). That means that out of the Billions of dollars being sent to countries like Africa and Haiti to help with HIV/AIDS and other illnesses, only a small percentage actually gets to where it’s needed. This kind of corruption needs to be stopped so that less illness and deaths occur.
If nothing is done to stop the spread of this disease, AIDS can potentially start to spread along Southeast Asia and perhaps affect our global economy, or worst, our national interests if AIDS were spread to India and China (Masci 818). Ignoring the spread of HIV/AIDS along with other diseases in these poor countries will only hurt everyone throughout the world. It must be stopped any way we can.
We must all realize that if we do not help third world countries now, we will be next in line to suffer. People may think that we should stop worrying so much about third world countries and concentrate on our own but they do not see the bigger picture.
Bibliography
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