OP/ED: Is The Bird Flu Taking Attention From AIDS.

With massive media coverage and funding for medications and research the question is being asked. "Is the Bird Flu taking valuable attention and money away from the AIDS Efforts". Early this month plans were announced for a massive 1 billion dollar injection into the Bird Flu Fight.




African nations are screaming out for world attention towards the AIDS/HIV epidemic. South Sea nations do not have access to AIDS medications, China has announced a huge blow out in AIDS cases and Russia too has stated its problems with the AIDS spread within that country.

But the worlds attention at present is focused on one fear, The potential Bird Flu epidemic. Is there room in world society for both issues to be addressed?

The nations mentioned above are also at the forefront of the Bird Flu "scare". Every dollar spent on the potential pandemic is one less dollar going to HIV cases and on HIV research. HIV is in danger of being swept away in the Bird Flu storm.

HIV is already an issue that greater society tends to ignore, In Africa millions upon millions are suffering tis horrendous disease with no hope for a future and daily more an more people being infected with the disease.

New figures released by Papua New Guinea, a small almost forgotten South sea country show that 47,000 people are in fact infected with HIV, that figure is 1.7 percent of the population. More than 1 person in 100. With the country blaming the churches for refusal to teach safe sex practises this figure has the potential to skyrocket fast. The conservative attitudes of the people ensure that treatment is often not sought an the disease ignored with patients ostracized by their own society.

www.abc.net.au...
ne of the problems in the deeply religious Pacific islands has been reluctance on the part of conservative churches - many of which object to the promotion of condom use - to tackle the issue.
But church officials are starting to come around as the seriousness of the problem becomes clear, he said.
"If they don't do something about it, they will lose their flock. The moral of the story is you have to save lives before you can save souls," he said.

In Fiji the numbers are around 190 people out of the population of 900000 infected but in Suva only 20 people are receiving medications for the illness. Medication and treatment is not available in rural areas.

With the worlds attention on the Bird Flu epidemic these figures are unlikely to change much. Money is being injected into Bird Flu and drugs by most nations in the world likely to be affected by Bird Flu, media attention on the Bird Flu epidemic is rampant. Every death is reported and most cases that are hospitalized, even animal culls are fell upon and reported, spread far and wide across the world feeds daily. There is rarely a day without some "Bird Flu News". But what about AIDS and HIV. How much money is these same countries contributing towards the AIDS epidemic? How much medications for AIDS are the countries stockpiling an buying in for patients who need it now, let alone the future cases. AIDS is here right now an spreading fast. Bird Flu is a maybe with a lot of factors unable to be ascertained.

Is this because of the nature of the disease? Do people believe the it won't happen to me mentality of AIDS. If people follow a moral plan of safe sex an no drug use then it is a disease that won't happen to them, therefore easily ignored. While Bird Flu has no bias, no bias against homosexuals, the sexually active, the sexually unsafe or the drug users of the world. The forgotten ones. Bird Flu takes it's victims whereever it finds it, healthy happy married adults, small children and grandparents who really don't think about sex that much anymore.

www.alertnet.org...
More than 40 percent of Swaziland's population of one million is HIV positive and the number of new infections is rising, Piot said during a visit to India's remote northeast.
Piot said South Africa continued to have "horrific" increases in infections. He did not say what the increase in 2005 was over 2004.
Piot, a microbiologist from Belgium, said some African governments were still in denial more than a decade after the epidemic devastated many African communities, partly due to taboos about discussing sex.

But AIDS robs young lives too. Many parents have unsuspectingly passed the disease off onto their offspring, ensuring the child a short lifespan in this world today.

At the rate of progression many cultures face the possibility of being totally wiped out of existence by AIDS, there is no cure, there is no stopping the disease from marching along in the march of death.

www.abc.net.au...
The emerging battle against bird flu could divert attention and funds away from global efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, the head of the United Nations' AIDS program says.
A UN summit of world leaders agreed in September to ensure that everyone in the world needing anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs to fight HIV/AIDS would get them by 2010.
"If there is a big bird flu epidemic, it could probably undermine these efforts," Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, said.

Last year, the UN forecast that more than 80 million Africans may die from AIDS by 2025 and HIV infections could soar to 90 million or over 10 per cent of Africa's population.
Africa has more than 25 million people with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, out of a global total of 40 million cases.

These are just the figures we know, they may well be millions upon millions of people in these underdeveloped countries that are positive without being tested for the disease.

AIDS In Africa Today

www.atsnn.com...
"In my estimation, AIDS is a covert operation run amok that is bigger than any secret operation in US history".
Colonel Jack Kingston
retired Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Pentagon

A few months ago I wrote the above op/ed specifically about the spread of AIDS in Africa today. The figures are astronomical. Bird Flu has killed 60 people worldwide but how many millions has AIDS/HIV killed.

Is it worth it? To inject so much money and resources into a problem that may or may not actually occur and that may or may not be as fatal as media and authorities have projected, especially when there is millions dying of AIDS. There are millions catching it everyday.

Today in America a vote was passed 217-215 in the House of Representatives to slash mediaid spending. A reconciliation package that will ensure once again that the poor and unwanted suffer the most. Horrifying statistics have been released showing the break down of HIV in ethnic minorities. Yet votes are being passed to up the spending on Bird Flu, which isn't even a given that it will sweep the world in deadly pandemic form.

bbsnews.net...
WASHINGTON - As the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention released startling new statistics about the impact of HIV and AIDS on communities of color and gay men, the U.S. House of Representatives put the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans at risk today in passing a budget reconciliation package that would slash Medicaid spending - forcing Americans to rely on the already stretched Ryan White CARE Act.
"Congress and the White House have abandoned their 'compassionate' side to the extremist conservatives," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "The health of thousands of men, women and children are threatened when the far right wing unravels the health care safety net."
The razor thin vote of 217-215 early this morning came after new data was released from the CDC detailing racial disparities in infection rates. African-Americans are eight times more likely and Latinos three times more likely than whites to be diagnosed with the HIV. The data also shows increasing infection rates among men who have sex with men.

It doesn't mean much to those who can afford treatment and are educated agains tthe spread of the disease. It only means something to the unfortunate minorities. It means another avenue of help has been ripped out from under them.

Further Reading

www.thisdayonline.com...
ActionAids International says Nigeria, Africa's most populous country has an estimated 3.47million people living with the dreaded Acquired Immuned Deficiency(AIDS) virus.This represents about 9% of the total number of people living with the virus globally.
Ironically 22million people have died in the 22 years of the epidemic, 17million of them were from Africa. It has also been revealed that about 70% of the adults and 80% of the children living with HIV in the world are in sub-Saharan Africa, representing an infected population of some 28.2 million people.

HRC.og
The razor thin vote of 217-215 early this morning came after new data was released from the CDC detailing racial disparities in infection rates. African Americans are eight times more likely and Latinos three times more likely than whites to be diagnosed with the HIV. The data also shows increasing infection rates among men who have sex with men.

Villanovan
Idah Mukuka, a senior counselor at the Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), addressed the Villanova community on November 14.
She emotionally pointed out, "At this point in Zambia, if you are not infected [with HIV], you are affected."

What is the future for this epidemic and when does it get called a pandemic like Bird Flu is already being called.





Related News Links:
www.abc.net.au
www.abc.net.au
www.alertnet.org
www.deccanherald.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
www.atsnn.com...
www.atsnn.com...
www.atsnn.com...
www.atsnn.com...


[edit on 20-11-2005 by Mayet]

www.cia.gov...

Some facts and figures on HIV/AIDS by the CIA about the Next wave.




The AIDS Epidemic. The greatest crisis we do face in the world today

I think both issues are important, but I don't think avian flu is taking anything away from AIDS and if it is it is not a permenant condition.

[edit on 2005/11/20 by GradyPhilpott]

No it's not taking attention away from AIDS, to assert such a thing, means quite frankly, that you sir, do not comprehend the scope of the imminent catastrophe that avian flu threatens.

AIDS is a disease caused by the blood-borne HIV virus, which can be avoided by your personal & responsible behavior. Avian Flu can be spread airborne, and spread through casual contact. HIV takes years to incubate and develop into full blown AIDS, while avian flu can kill you in a couple weeks.

Night and Day difference. Anyone with HIV/Aids needs to pay attention to Avian Flu.

IMO - HIV/AIDS, bird flu, and more all fall under new chronic diseases - and we need to deal with them all together. Dealing with all the new diseases separately just camouflages the size and true extent of the problem.

Originally posted by JasperJames
No it's not taking attention away from AIDS, to assert such a thing, means quite frankly, that you sir, do not comprehend the scope of the imminent catastrophe that avian flu threatens.

AIDS is a disease caused by the blood-borne HIV virus, which can be avoided by your personal & responsible behavior. Avian Flu can be spread airborne, and spread through casual contact. HIV takes years to incubate and develop into full blown AIDS, while avian flu can kill you in a couple weeks.

Night and Day difference. Anyone with HIV/Aids needs to pay attention to Avian Flu.

Mayhaps you best read many of my other contributions Jasper before you answer. Including the ATSNN Bird Flu News Thread.

This is not about which disease is worse. Or which one we need to worry about. They are all of importance but the issue here is whether the intense attention given to the Bird Flu is pushing the AIDS effort into the background.

Also a minor "Issue" It's Mrs Mayet to you.

So is the intent to state that we should neglect the proactive needs of top risks of today because we have not perfected the treatment of the ills of tomorrow?

Wait...I didn't mean to put a question mark on that....because that is what is being said here.

I will not vaccinate children against measles today because we haven't cured cancer yet....or because they don't have enough food to eat.

Same song - second verse.

Val,

I haven't said once not to concentrate on Bird Flu. What the issue is here is the possibilty that the Bird Flu pandemic and scare at present may take valuable resources and space away from the AIDS issue. While Bird Flu is the top of the news, AIDS has the chance to be swept away and forgotten.

There was a news report on this very issue raised by the UN today. I also quoted and referenced this source.

www.abc.net.au...
The emerging battle against bird flu could divert attention and funds away from global efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, the head of the United Nations' AIDS program says.

This issue has nothing to do with the measles or even perfect treatment and it is sad that you have chosen to correlate it as such.

Originally posted by soficrow
IMO - HIV/AIDS, bird flu, and more all fall under new chronic diseases - and we need to deal with them all together. Dealing with all the new diseases separately just camouflages the size and true extent of the problem.

How about the old chronic?

These viral infections have to be dealt with seperately, they are unique, and present different disease aspects... The way they are transmitted, who is infected, how rapidly the disease spreads, and it's mortality rate. That's just scraping the surface, to try and lumping them "all together" is a simplification appealing to the lay person, but a thoroughly flawed approach to those who are actually involved in developing vaccinations, treatments, and eventual cures for these afflictions.

Mayet,

The measles example was that...an example. That apparently didn't hit home with you. The POINT is that there are two pressing needs here:

* the immediate prophylactic concerns of emerging diseases
* the research for a cure for long-term chronic diseases

And just as it is assinine to attack people who go into a devastated area to administer measles vaccines because you think they should be doing something different (although they wouldn't do anything different because they are doctors, not lunch-line people), it is as assinine, if not worse, to attack the efforts to position the world to deal with an emerging disease that has had mortality numbers as high as 150 million, just because they haven't found a cure for another disease.

You've stated your opinion...I've stated mine.

Originally posted by Mirthful Me
...to try and lumping them "all together" is a simplification appealing to the lay person, but a thoroughly flawed approach to those who are actually involved in developing vaccinations, treatments, and eventual cures for these afflictions.

Both the World Bank and WHO released horrific reports on chronic disease, as well as the Lancet, and estimate 400 million deaths in the next 10 years. Most chronic disease results from or is exacerbated by environmental contamination - as well as poverty, malnutrition, lack of water. In many ways, all public health crises result from larger, endemic problems - which is why the WB, WHO, and Lancet reported on 'chronic disease' as a single entity.

Originally posted by Valhall
it is as assinine, if not worse, to attack the efforts to position the world to deal with an emerging disease that has had mortality numbers as high as 150 million, just because they haven't found a cure for another disease.

Ok we are in agreement... the UN is assinine


22 million deaths now versus a "possible" 150 million deaths

I think personally in my own opinion both issues deserve as much coverage, money and research as the other. Today and tomorrow

[edit on 19-11-2005 by Mayet]

OUTSTANDING OP/ED Mayet!

Exemplary point of discussion and thought provoking, imo.

Thankyou!

Originally posted by Mayet

Ok we are in agreement... the UN is assinine

Well, all other points aside, we'll always be in agreement on that one.

LOL!

AIDS= sexual contact / irresponsible behavior
Bird Flu = Airborn

It is painfully obvious bird flu is the more immediate threat and as such needs to be top priority.

Aids can wait, it takes years to die from that

Research for AIDS research is still being done and money is still being allocated for such. The bird flu is not taking away from this. It may be out of the spotlight and being overshadowed by the bird flu but you have to expect that. We know as much as we do about AIDS to keep people aware of what they must do to keep themselves safe. The bird flu on the other hand we do not. If it overshadows AIDS then be it....I want to know about the bird flu for now.

The Avian Flu is capable of killing more people in a few months than AIDS has ever killed, so if it is diverting attention, it's probably a good thing.

What about all the attention that AIDS, an easily preventable and very difficult to transmit disease, is taking away from Malaria and a host of other parastitic diseases, that kill millions across the globe?

im sure this is overly cynical but its just a thought.

I think theres a bunch of people burnt out on HIV/AIDS. It's been around for almost as long as I can remember back and I'm currently 30. It's either that, or its become so acclimated into our society that few even think about it anymore... actively at least.

This bird flu is a "new thing"(tm) to a lot of people and in our ADD addled society, it seems a natural progression to go from something that people can practically recite teh history on without thinking to something new, different and (cue ominous music) unknown.

Besides, HIV/AIDS and cancer are long standing grinds as far as research... the answer may lie anywhere. We never know if research into taking care of this bird flu thing might generate knowledge, techniques or anything else that may help the effort.

Besides, what would we do? take back the money and say "sorry charlie, take some nyquil and sleep it off, chicken soup is good i hear"

Originally posted by Nygdan
What about all the attention that AIDS, an easily preventable and very difficult to transmit disease, is taking away from Malaria and a host of other parastitic diseases, that kill millions across the globe?

I did hear that they are close to a malaria vaccine, so malaria is still gaining the attention it needs. Parasites and other diseases are also problems, that is not denied in any way.

With AIDS, it may be easily preventable to us, we are educated. The people in these third world countries most affected by AIDS are not educated on the disease.

In some places in Africa the cure it thought to be raping a virgin, which will get rid of the disease, well we know what that will do. More about that below.

www.scienceinafrica.co.za...
www.aegis.com...
www.aegis.com...

www.gig.org...
Pervasive throughout South Africa , as well as other parts of Africa and the developing world, is a belief in the myth of the so-called “Virgin Cure,” a belief which, in essence, means that having sexual intercourse with a sexually inactive girl will cure infected men of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases or STDs.