AIDS in the Philippines???
Before, when I was still writing about this topic for printed media, I got a lot of negative feedback. I was asking myself, why. Last week I got a new offer to write for Philippine print media. I appreciated it very much. I accepted that offer. But allow me to recall some of my thoughts regarding this very important topic HERE and NOW.
“One swallow doesn’t make a summer…” - as a German saying goes, “…and one annual World AIDS Day, though really important, will not chance world’s behaviour”. Danger, a big element of uncertainty as well as wrong information and especially for people who enjoy play “Russian Roulette’.
Double standards, condom opponents and sexual liberals’ shrieks of joy will be silenced if one day the diagnose will be: ” YOU HAVE AIDS!”
“AIDS doesn’t matter” is really beyond a joke and a terrible nonsense. I can’t smile about this phrase. Daily headlines should help us to keep in mind that, besides bird flu and SARS, AIDS should be feared equally.
Russia again is registering around 100 and more cases of infection daily and 30.000 new cases so far in 2005, steadily rising as the country with the highest infection rate in Europe. The intolerance of people infected with the virus can be found everywhere. I agree with former Russian deputy heath Minister Vladimir Starodubov, who said, that the biggest problem really remains society’s attitude towards people infected with AIDS and that no funding can change it.
Africa is known to have the most numbers of infected people so far with 26 million across the continent. If we mention figures. we should keep in mind, that we’d never find exact and complete details about how many are actually infected.
Indeed, globalization is a factor in AIDS’s spread as it causes workers to relocate more often and marginalize the poor, according to a UN International labour Organization study.
Also, global tourism - especially sex tourism, as well as workers who are often cut off from their families and social environment are among the vulnerable sectors.
The work place must indeed play a strategic role in the battle against AIDS. China’s largest city Shangai has planned in 2005 to triple the number of condom vending machines in an effort to promote safe sex and rein in the spread of AIDS. As we could learn during that time from AFP (Agence France Press Agency), ‘that 1.200 machines will be set up at entertainment venues, in residential communities and places, where migrant workers tedn to gather, and 200 f them will provide condoms free of charge”.
AIDS in the Philippines? AIDS education as exploitation. The more than 24 years war against AIDS is not only far from over, it will never end. I might write my fingers bloody, while some one of my in-laws is ready to go to heaven because of a stroke, … but Philippine government agencies and NGO’s (Non-Government Organizations) like ALAGAD Mindanao or IWAG Davao are doing their best to educate. I hope, that they are still existing like many of the “street workers”, doing a great and awesome job anywhere here in the Philippines.
Yes, we need funds. We need more responsible educators. We need more street workers in red light districts. We need to change ourselves.
Once, you have AIDS, you can’t rid of it… .
Or, what do you think?
I enjoyed reading your blog on aids in the Philippines. The scientist who can discover the cure for aids will probably get a novel prize. Today, there are a lot of drugs( cocktails) that hinders the progression of aids, but will not completely eradicate the virus. Reading this article reminds me of a former colleague who has been in aids research for the last 15 years. It is one of the most challenging research project that I know of. It is even more challenging than cancer research.
Hi David, thanks for enjoy reading my blog and for stopping by. Yes indeed, this scientist should get the novel prize. I also agree with you, that AIDS research is really a challenging project…
I strongly agree that the work place has a role in intervening against the spread of AIDS. In South Africa, more than one in four of the men working in the mining industry are infected with AIDS, basically because of the presence of prostitutes in the mining camps. Unfortunately, sections of the Philippine population also have this high risk. I suspect that the official statistics seriously underreport the prevalence of HIV in the Philippines.
I agree with Chris above, that officials are under-reporting. The numbers being given us do not tell the whole story, I believe. There should be greater efforts in promoting safe sex here in this country.
Hi Chris and Migs, thanks for leaving your comments here. I agree strongly with both of you regarding the numbers - and, I agree very much with Migs, especially your last sentence…
Hi Klaus -
I often wonder which is really the problem: AIDS or the behavior that speads it?
A person stricken with AIDS - whether saint or sinner - shouldn’t be looked upon as the problem. Behaviors resulting in AIDS being contracted and spread to others are really more suitable targets.
Promiscuity, needle sharing, knowingly selling tainted blood or blood by-products to medical agencies (for blood transfusions or other procedures) and other such problematic behavior result in the near-pandemics we see throughout the world. Without the behavioral aspect, AIDS doesn’t spread and, possibly, could disappear within a generation. The world view, however, appears to make this approach out to be “Mission Impossible” (untried remedies never work).
Of course, finding a cure for those with AIDS shouldn’t be abandoned or curtailed in favor of behavioral adjustment.
The Department of Health (DOH) said cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are on the rise with 297 reported cases from January to July this year compared to the 197 cases reported in the same period last year.
The DOH-National Epidemiology Center (NEC) said there is a 66 percent increase of HIV Ab seropositive cases this year than in the same period in 2007.
In the month of July alone, the NEC noted a 71 percent increase with a total of 53 HIV Ab seropositive cases reported last month, compared to the 31 reported in July 2007.
The DOH-NEC report also showed 91 percent of the cases last month were males with ages ranging from 21 to 57. From the total, 25 percent are from the 25 to 29 year-old group and more than half of cases 29 years or older old.
Thanks for posting Klaus. You’ll be happy to know medical scientists are closing in on the cure for AIDS. I see new break throughs reported weekly in medical journals. Thanks to charitable organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, I predict we’ill see a cure in the next 5 years.
Hi Klaus.When i was a teenager serving in the armed forces,Syphilis was the major threat with no cure.As time marched on and technolgy progressed Syphilis almost dissapeared and many presumed they were safe,then Aids appeared with a vengance.I sometimes wonder if these diseases have always been with us,but go through dormant periods,then rear their ugly heads in another disguise.I am fairly certain that once Aids is curable and eliminated there will be another disease waiting to take its place.I read somewhere recently that Syphilis is slowly making a comeback,regards Chas.
Hi Paul, thanks for leaving this important comment.I strongly agree with you. The main problem is really the spread. Indeed, it’s not the question here - whether saint or sinner. it’s sad to say, but finding a cure for AIDS might change behaviour again…
Hi John, thanks a lot for providing us with these numbers. As Chris said: the official statistics (NOT ONLY in the Philippines) are seriously underestimated. It has to be proofed how the DOH creates these figures… Anyway, thanks a lot JOHN …
Hi David S., thanks a lot too. Yeah, sure, saint or sinner, we all have to expect an AIDS cure as soon as possible. My US-friend Tom just sent me a brochure, the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation has been also mentioned in there.
Hi Chas, thanks for stopping by. Even AIDS will be cured one day (really?), other diseases will appear. Indeed Syphilis is one of them, as I also learned from other medical reports.Promoting saver sex, as Migs stated in his comment, is one of the major advices…
HIV, and it’s eventual transition to aids is indeed a world problem, for which the partial solution is education. In poorer countries, a lack of knowledge does enable the spread of this and other sexually transmitted diseases. However, we fight against not only an uneducated element in world society, but also unfortunately, against human nature! We like to procreate of course, and yes, we do certainly enjoy recreational sex too, and never more so than when the risk of pregnancy exists, which also opens the door to all the other risks. It’s a human nature issue. That’s the largest part of the problem in more developed countries I believe. The answer to that I’m afraid I don’t have, but certainly we must continue to educate and try to contain both this and other STD’s by highlighting the high risk situations, and encouraging people to avoid these situations.
Klaus, not to be critical of you but just to clarify, I understand that Italy is, in fact, the European nation with the highest reported number of hiv infections. That’s not to say that Russia is not suffering an epidemic, but Russia is not a part of Europe, and again, it’s a nation with a very high percentage of poverty and doubtless a lack of education on the subject as a result of that.
I think the world needs to invest very heavily in hiv research, and hopefully come up with a vaccination or cure, because regardless of our good intentions, I don’t believe we can overcome the basic human instinct involved.
Hi Jim Hannah, thanks a lot for your long and interesting comment. I agree strongly with you: we especially fight against human nature… And of course, Russia doesn’t believe to Europe, but it was included as European country in the numbers I researched. Italy,being on top, is also something new for me. So, thanks for clarifying and letting us know…