This article appeared in The Vancouver Courier January 14, 2000.
By Robin Larsen
The United Nations Security Council opened its first session of the new century with a discussion on AIDS. It's the first time the security council has debated a disease and the discussion centred on the need for funding, education and medicine in African nations devastated by the epidemic.
In Africa, AIDS is more destructive than warfare. More people are dying from the disease in sub-Saharan Africa each year than in the world wars combined. By overwhelming health services and educators, AIDS is causing social and economic crises across the continent, which threatens political stability.
In 1998, AIDS claimed 2.2 million lives in the subcontinent (more than 200,000 people died in armed conflicts). Many of those who died were unaware of the precautions needed to avoid infection. Of the world's 11 million AIDS orphans, 90 percent are African. The AIDS epidemic, if allowed to spread at the current rate, will exact a death toll in the first decade of the 21st century that will rival all 20th century wars combined.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan warned council members that the disease, which doesn't discriminate by class, age or gender, could destroy the social infrastructure of Africa.
The United States, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the council, prioritized the AIDS issue in a "Month of Africa" agenda.
It has pledged to increase to $325 million its funding for AIDS education, prevention and treatment programs. A portion of the funds will be used to combat other infectious diseases in Africa and Asia, where nearly 70 per cent of the world's AIDS cases occur. The developing world's other major killers-malaria, hepatitis B, yellow fever and tuberculosis-account for up eight million deaths.
Since the AIDS virus was identified in the early 1980's, about 50 million people worldwide have been infected and 16.3 Million have died-13.7 million of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Each day, 11,000 Africans contract HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and now more than 23 million people on the subcontinent are infected.
While education and prevention are key components in the fight against HIV and AIDS, the debate over distribution of AIDS drugs will be particularly heated; it's complicated in Africa by the fact that most people are unable to find or pay for the necessary drugs, such as AZT and protease inhibitors.
By contrast, fewer than one million people have HIV or AIDS in North America. They have access to modern drugs designed to alleviate the effects of the deadly disease.
Which brings us to a disturbing revelation.
The UN debate comes at a time when a study by doctors at the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS suggests increasing numbers of Vancouver's young gay and bisexual men are indulging in risky behaviors and dicing with death, possibly because of the ready availability of so-called designer drugs in the event of infection. This, despite nearly 20 years of education and warnings about safe sex. This is an alarming trend, for which there is no excuse.
Wise up, guys.
For more information, contact:
Bonnie Devlin
Vanguard Project Coordinator
608 - 1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 1Y6
Tel: (604)806-8306
Fax: (604)806-9044