{UAH} INT'L WORLD AIDS DAY MESSAGE

It's World AIDS Day 2017. The theme this year is "Everybody counts".

I am not an expert in the field of AIDS or medecine, so I can only speak as one who has followed the evolution of the fight against HIV/AIDS, but also as a person who is greatly concerned for the children and who is asking the experts to account for their work.

Because education and knowledge are mankind's best tools to contain the scourge, we have to remember to educate the children early about the dangers ahead.

From a keen observers perspective, I essentially see HIV/AIDS as a slower version of the deadly Ebola virus. And I understand that the only one way to catch AIDS is by getting infected with the HIV/AIDS virus from another individual. (Just like Ebola).

The fight is therefore simply to prevent the virus exiting from one individual into another.

We could apply some of the lessons learnt in the fight against Ebola and adapt them to curb AIDS and it's deadliness.

The problem is that when we talk about quarantines in regards to HIV/AIDS, it is not practical because of the paradox where;

- AIDS does not kill immediately like Ebola does, and yet

- AIDS does not heal while Ebola patients have healed in many known cases.

- Also, the Ebola crisis showed that the doctor/patient confidentiality rules do not apply where there is a major danger of contamination to society.

Some HIV/AIDS patients have been infected for decades, are still alive secretely carrying the AIDS virus, and in many instances, still spreading it as well. Some of those spreading the disease are doing so unknowingly, (therefore HIV testing in communities must be increased globally). But there are records of many who spread the disease knowingly, even intentionally. This means that criminal responsibility has to be highlighted and tough legislation passed. Spreading the disease intentionally (and therefore mercilessly), is equal to murdering unsuspecting innocent people. We have to be loud and clear about that. Anyone found culpable of this heinous crime should suffer the consequences, and pay the highest price.

That should be part of the multi-pronged approach to curb the spread of the disease lest we become too complascent about it we seemingly are already today.

One of the issues around HIV/AIDS is that there seems to be little concern for justice. Yet those who are infected are victims of a crime committed against them.

Those who suggested Ebola-style quarantines for containment of the AIDS virus by now know that it would be impractical from a financial and logistical point of view, because AIDS kills slower and does not heal, plus a person on ARV medication would therefore stay in quarantine forever.

Those who have suggested the public identification of AIDS virus carriers as a means to help contain the scourge, have faced stingy criticism.

So the question is what more meaningful and concrete steps are the critics of these approaches taking to stop the spread of the disease?

The data shows that their current passive approach as it exists today, is failing. Far more people are continuing to contract the disease. In South Africa alone, there are estimated to be 1500 new infections every single day. Upto 70% percent of these new infections are teenagers, and most of them are girls.

Approximately the same figures apply for Uganda and many other developing countries in Africa and Asia (WHO 2015 data).

The world must therefore do more to win this fight because from a scientific perspective, the strategy behind today's methods of HIV/AIDS prevention is not only a wide open door for more innocent kids getting infected with AIDS everyday, but by sticking only to the ABC formula, though it is helpful, we are actually still putting more young people in danger of contracting AIDS than ever before while clearly also loosing the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Imagine if that ABC strategy was the only thing we did for Ebola for example. By now most of Africa, Asia and many parts of the Western world would be seeing hundreds of thousands of Ebola deaths and infections every day. And there would be quarantines everywhere, let alone identification of virus carriers.

But for AIDS, we have 36.7 million known infected persons right now around the world.

So what complementary action should we take to first save the children from even getting infected with AIDS, and the physical and mental anguish that comes with it?

On this World AIDS Day 2017 campaign, the world is promoting the theme "Right to health".

As we pray for the millions who have already succumbed to the disease, it is our duty to ensure the health of those who hold the future: The children.

I read that the World Health Organization is also highlighting the need for all the people living with HIV and those who are vulnerable and affected by the epidemic, to be able to access universal health coverage.

I am bluntly aware that it is only those already infected who are the only ones able to spread the disease, thereby knowingly or unknowingly recruiting more AIDS infectors who will spread the disease even further.

These are therefore the people who, along with the scientists and medical practitioners, should be allies as the first line of humanity's defence in containing the disease.

Under the slogan "Everybody counts", we should also advocate for access to safe, effective, quality and affordable healthcare, including medicines, diagnostics and other health commodities for all people in need.

But what is needed most is a paradigm shift in how we see and fight the disease. We should basically adopt a more agressive and conclusive approach.

A fight to win. Not the insensitive comfort of a protracted battle that the world is slowly but surely loosing.

And in this approach everyone counts as well, including those already infected, and the teenagers full of youth and life who are catching the disease every day around the world today.

What about the toddlers running and giggling in playgrounds around the world yet grave dangers await them in their teenage and adult life.

We have to protect their healthy future. Protect the healthy and sustainable continuity of mankind.

By Hussein Lumumba Amin

Kampala, Uganda

More info from World Health Organization here: www.who.int/campaigns/aids-day/2017/event/en/

--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com