The Battle Against HIV/AIDS Continues Throughout

The African Continent

Seble Demeke, UN

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in its updated report of AIDS epidemic, December 2001, provided estimated figures indicating the situation of HIV/AIDS globally and regionally with a bleak prospects of the situation for the future of the African continent. I am showing below the situation of Sub-Sahara Africa in relation to the global situation since it remains the region most severely affect.

Furthermore, the report indicates that in most of the countries of Sub-Sahara Africa, life expectancy is 
dropping to less than 40 years; and mortality rates for children under the age of five due to AIDS is as high as 70%.

With regard to the effects of HIV/AIDS on the development pattern of the continent, the United Nations  confirmed that AIDS is the biggest threat to the economic development of the African continent. The number of people being incapacitated to work and produce is also increasing at an alarming rate. Those affected include the work force – teachers, doctors, social workers, technicians, nurses, etc., – they are either dying or leaving the services because of AIDS. In 1999 alone, an estimated 860,0000 children lost their teachers to AIDS. “In some countries, health care systems are losing up to a quarter of their personnel to the epidemic”. A survey done by one country shows that out of 15 firms over a five-year period, 53% of staff illness was AIDS-related. These numbers of course will increase as time goes on and when those who are now infected (3.4 people) will be dying.

After revealing the above alarming figures for Sub-Sahara Africa, the question that should be raised in every one’s mind, specially those from the African continent, should therefore be mainly one question, and a very simple one, which is asking oneself: What is my responsibility, contribution, and commitment towards the efforts being made to reverse this continuous devastation of the African continent by HIV/AIDS? My personal response to my own question is as simple as the question itself. The reversing of HIV/AIDS could be attained solely through full commitment of every individual at all levels, since individuals make groups, civil societies, organizations, as well as government structures. The United Nations pointed out “that even a rampant HIV/AIDS epidemic can be brought under control” and gave Uganda as an example. But unfortunately so far, not many African countries have made the effort to learn from the experience of Uganda.

It is, however, important to note that as the situation gets at a desperate stage for Sub-Sahara Africa, commitments and concrete actions are increasing from world leaders and policy makers. The legal battle between drug producing countries /multinational firms and drug using countries, supported by aid activists is intensified. The United Nations has established a Global Fund for AIDS. International Conferences and AIDs Summits are increasing as a forum for discussions. All these initiatives and motivations increase the awareness of the seriousness of the epidemic. AIDS activists that includes individual celebrities, sports people, NGOs, Civil Societies, Foundations, Universities are all busy through information communication, research and influencing policy and decision makers. These are all positive signs and demonstrate that the world cares and brings hope to those who are living with HIV/AIDS and that AIDS is everybody’s problem therefore everybody’s business.

The most affected countries while coping with the current crisis, need also to plan ahead and think what will happen 10 years from now to their working force – hence to their nations’ economy – and prepare replacements to fill the unavoidable gap which will be created by so many deaths. They have to involve more and more young people at the prevention stage and make them also part of the solution and not only of the problem. The main networking for education, awareness and communication with the society should tap the energy and willingness of the young people. Governments should invest on them as trainers and make them feel they can also contribute to save their generation.

* The World Health Organization established World AIDS Day on 1 December 1988, and its annual observation was mandated by General Assembly resolution A/43/15. Since its establishment in 1996, UNAIDS has expanded the single day’s observance into a yearlong World AIDS Campaign, with World AIDS Day as a focal point (UN Note No. 5699, 26 November 2001). Furthermore, since my last article on the UN Special about World AIDS Day, in which I indicated the cosponsors of UNAIDS, another UN family organization, the International Labour Organization (ILO), has joined UNAIDS as the 8^th cosponsor. The current cosponsors of UNAIDS are: UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, UNDCP, UNESCO, WHO, the World Bank and the ILO.

Source: Most of the information and figures are from the UNAIDS report “AIDS epidemic update, December 2001”.