Support 21 years of World Aids day
The risks to people from HIV and AIDS are known the world over but are proper preventative measures being taken in the Developing South to curb the rate of infection amongst its populace?
Clinical trails were carried out on over 16,000 non-infected Thai volunteers over 3 years on a combination of 2 vaccines with questionable findings. 51 of the volunteers became infected with HIV whilst 74, who received a placebo, were also infected. The sexual activity of the volunteers was not monitored and it could be that chance — rather than medicine – kept some safe whilst others open to danger.
Dr. Prakong Wittayasai, the Managing Director of Support the Children Foundation, an orphanage for children who have lost both parents to HIV, was recently quoted as urging the local government of Chiang Mai, it’s businesses and media groups to promote sex education - particularly with local youth – to stop the growing number of at least 22,547 infected people in that province from getting any larger.
Outside of Thailand people are looking for solutions too. South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia are currently collating the results of a trial of a vaginal gel code-named PRO 2000 which is thought to be around 30% protective when applied before intercourse. The abundance of HIV related illnesses in Latin America with areas of inequality is almost too apparent. There social injustice issues connected with the disease are huge ranging from violence, ostracization, gender inequality to sex tourism.
There are no immediate solutions to the problems of HIV and AIDS, if anything there are too many problems related to it. But at least thinking about it on December 1st and trying to start a dialogue with someone who maybe doesn’t contemplate it much increases its profile and perhaps can get people talking about potential solutions.
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About Scott Lyon
Scott is our renaissance man. Combining his love of community development, varied cultures, travelling and computing skills he helps guide the web site towards one which shows our projects and good works whilst maintaining user privacy and promoting Open Source software.
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