WORLD AIDS DAY 12.01.2009
20 million people are dead from AIDS
33,000,000 are living with AIDS
It was the early 1980s when death was no longer sporadic occurrence but became a recurring nightmare. In London and New York, folks got ill; soon the rumors were that researchers had let loose a plague in Western Africa. Conspiracy theorists are only half wrong but that half changes everything. During wars, conspiracy theory is used to addle the brain of the enemy.
As friends died; we wondered what had caused the mysterious clusters of loss in big cities: Barcelona, New York, San Francisco and London. Disease is more easily spread where the population is densest, in cities. Later figures reflect an increase but reveal the same trend, the density of population in Barcelona (1991) was 87,195 people per square mile; New York (2000) 83,973, London (1996) 50,985 and San Francisco (1990) 69,565.
In Europe the number of HIV infections amongst IV drug users has decreased, cases in America amongst men have risen, in Europe there is a rise of AIDS infection amongst heterosexuals.
The countries worst hit by AIDS are in Africa and they include Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique. A study of the statistics reveals that, as with most things, money helps. The Western countries who have had the longest knowledge of the disease have invested research time and money to understand the disease and learn how to manage the illness with drugs. And yet, there is still no vaccine!
Nearly 7,400 people a day are infected with HIV. An AIDS vaccine with 50% efficacy given to 30% of the population would avert 5.6 million new infections in low and middle income countries between 2015 and 2030.(http://www.iavi.org/Pages/home.aspx)
Meanwhile in Africa, government does not always serve the voters. War and a lack of money due to corruption for the most part have allowed disease to spread. The re-emergence of malaria is indicative of the predatory nature of viral and other diseases. Preventive behavior such as mosquito nets, clean water and food can diminish the risk of infection. A well-nourished mammal fights infection better than one falling on the ground with malnutrition.
Thirty years later, we are no closer to a cure but we have put on the brakes of the slide downhill. We can win this challenge.
Donate your time or brain power and figure out a scientific response to the problem, give money, give talent, WE CAN DO THIS.
Why can’t they inject nanobots into the bloodstream like video warriors with peroxide or toxic medicine to kill the virus making the people ill?
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanorobotics)
Angie Bowie Barnett 11.14.2009
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