The Economist: AIDS: A Mixed prognosis (Informative Article)

[La_Serpiente]

A mixed prognosis
Dec 1st 2003


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As millions of people mark World AIDS Day, the statistics seem gloomier than ever. But the global fight against the disease is steadily gaining strength

IN THE modern world, 20 years seems a long time to be at war, but it is hardly surprising when the enemy is as elusive, and pervasive, as HIV—the virus that causes the disease AIDS. It is two decades since scientists first identified the cause of what was a baffling new syndrome ravaging immune systems and destroying lives. Since then, AIDS has gone from being the scourge of relatively small groups, such as homosexuals and intravenous-drug users in rich countries, to arguably the biggest threat to life and prosperity in the developing world.

Although the epidemic continues to tear across Africa, Asia and Latin America, there is much optimism among policymakers and public-health experts that the battle against the disease has reached a turning point. Anti-AIDS programmes are growing larger and more coherent. And there is a growing political commitment to ensure that more money is spent and, crucially, new methods are exploited, in getting AIDS drugs to poor people.

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[Liberal Veteran]

1. This deserves a kick to the top of the page.

I think it serves us all well to understand just how devestating this disease is.

[La_Serpiente]

2. This sounds like a Reagan

repeat all over again. Reagan fiddled while thousands of people, many homosexuals, died of AIDS during the 1980s. Bush will have that same legacy, except this time, it won't be homosexuals only. It will be women, men, children, homosexuals, poor, rich, and everyone else. Millions of people will die.

I don't blame him only though. I blame every other rich nation in the world who doesn't want to take a pro-active approach toward this issue. Instead, we are bombing countries when we could be saving lives.

[Liberal Veteran]

3. I also blame big drug companies....

Yes they have come up with some wonderful new drugs, but no one is going to convince me that charging people 40 bucks for a day's worth of antivirals is anything other than gouging, especially when 2 of the drugs I am basing this price on have been on the market for more than a decade.

It's fucking disgusting.