Real impact of AIDS left off the agenda

Speaking at the 14th World AIDS Conference, Professor Alan Whiteside, Director of Natal University’s HIV/AIDS Research Division said it was clear from the agenda that the scientists knew a great deal, but little was known on the social science (impact) of the epidemic.

He said despite shocking figures and predictions that 65% of deaths in South Africa would be AIDS-related by 2008 and that there would be close to two million orphans by 2010, that’s one in every 20 South African, the country still had an opportunity to start looking ahead.

“But at the moment there are few signs that this is happening, except at community level where people are desperately trying to deal with the impact of the epidemic,” Whiteside said.

He said research in Kwa-Zulu-Natal showed that there had been a steady decrease in grade one enrolment with about 100 000 enrolments lost.

“We don’t know why. Have they died, are they heading households, or do they simply not care,” Whiteside asked. “The point is we don’t know.”

A study in Zambia showed that there was an 80% loss of income when an AIDS death occurred and in Uganda families were shown to have less necessities such a bicycles once AIDS struck.

“The days of pilot projects are over, we need to know where and how to respond to the impact of the epidemic,” Whiteside added.

A barometer devised by Whiteside and colleagues measured the priorities of Africans and list the problems mentioned by at least 10% of the respondents.

In all the countries, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, AIDS and health featured as problems.

“This is the people’s agenda, we need to hear it. Human beings have rights and I feel at this conference the impact is a forgotten item on the agenda.”

This article is courtesy of Health-e News Service.