Tackling AIDS in Africa

The Seattle Times ^ | 3/12/02 | Richard E. Stearns

[goodnesswins]

I think it's great that Bill Gates and WorldVision want to help Africa.....BUT, I DO NOT think that our tax dollars should go there.....and this comparison to 9/11 makes me ill.

[goodnesswins]

OKAY....I posted this in CULTURE....what happened?

[triggerhappy]

Here's a thought.....STOP HAVING SEX WITH MULTIPLE PARTNERS!

[Destructor]

This is like trying to hold back the ocean. Good luck!

[45Auto]

From the National Institutes of Health web site on current funding of medical research:

The FY 2003 budget request for the NIH, based on current law, is $27,244 million, including VA/HUD appropriated Superfund-related research activities.

The Fiscal Year 2003 President's budget requests $27,335 million for NIH, an increase of $3,902 million, or 16.7% over the FY 2002 estimate, and an increase of $3,712 million or 15.7 percent when including the FY 2002 Emergency Response Fund. This budget request for FY 2003 includes $91.1 million for accrued retirement and health benefits associated with the proposed Managerial Flexibility Act of 2001.

The budget completes the President's commitment to double the FY 1998 appropriation level in five years. Of this amount, $76 million is requested from the Veteran's Administration/Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee for Superfund research activities. The NIH President's budget request to the Labor/Health and Human Services/Education Appropriations Committee is $27,259 million.

Support for AIDS research will increase by $255 million, or 10 percent over the FY 2002 estimate, for a total of $2,770 million. This amount includes accrued costs for the AIDS research program.

The FY 2003 President's budget request will allow NIH to continue its FY 2002 support of $100 million for the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis, to further the NIH's efforts to prevent and alleviate these diseases.

Tax-supported research and treatment for AIDS is $2.7 BILLION. I guess that's not enough. AIDS is the most funded medical problem in the world, courtesy of the US taxpayer.

[OldFriend]

Desmond Tutu said this recently during an interview on the AIDS crisis in South Africa. There is a myth amongst the population that if you have AIDS, having sex with a VERY young virgin will cure you. This man said this with a straight face. And they want OUR tax money to fix their insanity.

This myth is the excuse for the rampant baby rape crisis in Africa .

Frankly, there are no words.

[Doctor Stochastic]

This is an example of bad science and bad information getting to the public. AIDS is caused by a virus. Sex with a young person will not eliminate the virus from someone's system, only spread it further. SA's president denies that a virus causes AIDS; this doesn't help, it only makes it harder to get the information out.

[45Auto]

As bad as AIDS is, it it still one of the most easily preventable diseases: all it requires is a life-style and behavior change. The only innocent adult victims are those who got it through transfusions with tainted blood. Mr. Stearns has a vested interest in getting his hands on a lot more money to dole out, subtracting his necessary overhead, no doubt. Other than that, AIDS activists would really like a nice, convenient medicine that they could take in order to render their behavior less life threatening. Its the typical liberal whine: we don't want to accept the consequences of our behavior, nor even to acknowledge that there are any consequences; that way we don't have to be responsible.

[Dakmar]

Here's a thought.....STOP HAVING SEX WITH MULTIPLE PARTNERS!

Your post is just another example of the West trying to impose its cultural values on others. We should just give them all our money and let them do whatever they want. < /sarcasm >

[E Rocc]

A lot of what can be called "traditional" African diseases have become reclassified as "AIDS" in order to get attention.

Remember that AIDS is pretty much medically defined as "opportunistic infection" + HIV virus (a definition that's controversial even in the western world). In Africa, HIV is not considered even a requirement.

Since this means that a lot of heterosexuals have "AIDS" in Africa, the PC factor kicks in too

AIDS, Africa, and the WHO.

-Eric

[OldFriend]

They want to have sex with each other until they drop, fine with me. However, their excuse for raping babies is just so much bullship to excuse their barbarian behaviour.

[bert]

AIDS is the solution to the Africa problem.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

America's might was critical to victory over tyranny in the past century; its leadership is essential to winning the war against AIDS in the new century.

America's might can't stop Africans from sleeping around. Only the Africans can.

[Dakmar]

They trying to blame Pete Townshend for AIDS now?

[razorback-bert]

Jimmy Carter, America's most-respected former president

I knew after this, there would be little of interest in the rest.

[mamelukesabre]

AIDS in africa?....not my problem.

Africa is a bottomless pit. Now amount of aid will make a dent in their problem. Do we think it is within our power to rescue russia's economy? Of course not! Why do we think we can tackle africa's health care problems?????????

UNBELEIVABLE

[Random Access]

It is racist to think that these free, independant black African countries must have aid, direction and help from white American and European countries to solve their problems. They wanted independance and they got independance. Independance means solving your own problems.

[Cuttnhorse]

Yep...as soon as I read that I scrolled down to see if anyone else caught it...you're a sharpie razorback.

[gcruse]

It is racist to think that these free, independant black African
countries must have aid, direction and help from white American and
European countries to solve their problems.

[ikanakattara]

African AIDS:
- sexual promiscuity;
- unacknowledged homosexuality (they say they're not gay but they are);
- disgusting unsanitary practices like female genital mutilation (sometimes en masse, with the same rusty razor being used on girl after girl) and ritual scarification;
- "medical" practices like using the same needles repeatedly without sterilization.

This is supposed to be OUR government's fault, and OUR responsibility to clean up. How?