TIGblogs TIG | TIGblogs GROUP TIGBLOGS LOGIN SIGNUP
The Dome of Stones...
The Dome of Stones...
Global AIDS crisis overblown? Some dare to say so
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

By MARIA CHENG
AP Medical Writer
LONDON (AP) - As World AIDS Day is marked on Monday, some experts are
growing more outspoken in complaining that AIDS is eating up funding
at the expense of more pressing health needs.

They argue that the world has entered a post-AIDS era in which the
disease's spread has largely been curbed in much of the world, Africa
excepted.

"AIDS is a terrible humanitarian tragedy, but it's just one of many
terrible humanitarian tragedies," said Jeremy Shiffman, who studies
health spending at Syracuse University.

Roger England of Health Systems Workshop, a think tank based in the
Caribbean island of Grenada, goes further. He argues that UNAIDS, the
U.N. agency leading the fight against the disease, has outlived its
purpose and should be disbanded.

"The global HIV industry is too big and out of control. We have
created a monster with too many vested interests and reputations at
stake, ... too many relatively well paid HIV staff in affected
countries, and too many rock stars with AIDS support as a fashion
accessory," he wrote in the British Medical Journal in May.

Paul de Lay, a director at UNAIDS, disagrees. It's valid to question
AIDS' place in the world's priorities, he says, but insists the
turnaround is very recent and it would be wrong to think the epidemic
is under control.

"We have an epidemic that has caused between 55 million and 60 million
infections," de Lay said. "To suddenly pull the rug out from
underneath that would be disastrous."

U.N. officials roughly estimate that about 33 million people worldwide
have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Scientists say infections peaked
in the late 1990s and are unlikely to spark big epidemics beyond
Africa.

In developed countries, AIDS drugs have turned the once-fatal disease
into a manageable illness.

England argues that closing UNAIDS would free up its $200 million
annual budget for other health problems such as pneumonia, which kills
more children every year than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.

"By putting more money into AIDS, we are implicitly saying it's OK for
more kids to die of pneumonia," England said.

His comments touch on the bigger complaint: that AIDS hogs money and
may damage other health programs.

By 2006, AIDS funding accounted for 80 percent of all American aid for
health and population issues, according to the Global Health Council.

In Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda and elsewhere, donations for HIV projects
routinely outstrip the entire national health budgets.

In a 2006 report, Rwandan officials noted a "gross misallocation of
resources" in health: $47 million went to HIV, $18 million went to
malaria, the country's biggest killer, and $1 million went to
childhood illnesses.

"There needs to be a rational system for how to apportion scarce
funds," said Helen Epstein, an AIDS expert who has consulted for
UNICEF, the World Bank, and others.

AIDS advocates say their projects do more than curb the virus; their
efforts strengthen other health programs by providing basic health
services.

But across Africa, about 1.5 million doctors and nurses are still
needed, and hospitals regularly run out of basic medicines.

Experts working on other health problems struggle to attract money and
attention when competing with AIDS.

"Diarrhea kills five times as many kids as AIDS," said John Oldfield,
executive vice president of Water Advocates, a Washington, D.C.-based
organization that promotes clean water and sanitation.

"Everybody talks about AIDS at cocktail parties," Oldfield said. "But
nobody wants to hear about diarrhea," he said.

These competing claims on public money are likely to grow louder as
the world financial meltdown threatens to deplete health dollars.

"We cannot afford, in this time of crisis, to squander our
investments," Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO's director-general, said in a
recent statement.

Some experts ask whether it makes sense to have UNAIDS, WHO, UNICEF,
the World Bank, the Global Fund plus countless other AIDS
organizations, all serving the same cause.

"I do not want to see the cause of AIDS harmed," said Shiffman of
Syracuse University. But "For AIDS to crowd out other issues is
ethically unjust."

De Lay argues that the solution is not to reshuffle resources but to boost them.

"To take money away from AIDS and give it to diarrheal diseases or
onchocerciasis (river blindness) or leishmaniasis (disfiguring
parasites) doesn't make any sense," he said. "We'd just be doing a
worse job in everything else."

December 4, 2008 | 10:52 AM Comments  1 comments

Tags:
You must be logged in to add tags.


Comments

TUBECLONE DOMINIC
December 7, 2008 | 7:06 AM
VOTE FOR VERONICA IFEOMA UGWU FOR WEST AFRICA RFP
Dear Friends,

Compliments. I have been selected as one of the 3 nominees for Regional Focal Point for West Africa. But for me to become your RFP, you need to vote for me. That is the only way I can achieve my vision for GYCA in our region as I stated in my profile on the voting page. I need your support. If you are already a member, please do go on with the voting process as I am sure the mail on the election process as been sent to you. If you are not a member of GYCA yet, pls do register now as you will have lots of opportuinties coming your way as a GYCA member. The details about what Global Youth Coalition on Aids does can be found at www.youthaidscoalition.org. My name is Veronica Ugwu and I am the no 3 on the voting page. The election process stays open until December 12 but the earlier you vote the better! To vote for me as a GYCA member, please go here:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=O9HvclSdFE9_2fcdN_2bKQDLMA_3d_3d.
You are only allowed one vote and that vote is for
the RFP for your region.
Before you vote, please visit GYCA's countries by region page
(http://www.youthaidscoalition.org/pages.html?page=regions) because GYCA has specific criteria for placing a country in a region. These might be different from what you would expect, so it is best to double check before you vote.
This is the first time that GYCA members will vote for
their RFPs and your participation is vital in this process! Please tell your friends too!
Thanks!

Still me,
Veronica Ifeoma Ugwu,
+234-803-4363-536,
+234-808-3073-429.
Aare Kornar !'s Profile

Aare Kornar !'s Friends


Latest Posts
SAVING LIVES...
General Assembly...
A man that wars the...
Reminder: Demanding...
If Satan - Series 1.

Monthly Archive

My Group Blogs
telecentre.org

Change Language


Tags Archive
aids akinbo america charles cherubim csmc death democracy deoluakinyemi economy gbengasesan gyca gycanigeria hiv hope ipp issues leadership nigeria now oau obama olarotimi seraphim service swaoau walk westafrica youths 2009

Friends
Ajayi Abiodun
'Gbenga Sesan
A Better Community for All (ABC4All)
A. Kent Bridgewater II
aaaaaaaaaa
abdsalaam abdsalaam
abumerefaith
ADA
adebisi akinbo
ADEFILA ADEDAYO RAYMOND
ADELEYE GBENGA
Adelusi Oluwafemi Temidayo-Don
Adeshola
Adesida Ireti Emmanuel
adewole taiwo
Adham Tobail
adisa'biola steve
Admire
African
Agent of Change International
Ajala Opeyemi
Ajala, Olufunke Ruth
Ajay Kamalakaran
Akanke !
Akinbo Oluwole
Akinbogloo !
Akindele Oyeyemi
Alabi Olufisayo Yinka
alegbeleye o. k. buttercup
Alexander
Alice Ho Pui Wah
Alison Lazaro
Ana Nelson
Andrew NG
Andy Carvin
Ange
Angel
Angel
Angelic_mystery
ANGELITO LEGASPI PALAD
Anita Moses
Anita Moses
Anita Moses
ankag
Anuoluwapo
Aroh Valentine
Athi
Atta ur Rehman Qureashi
Awa Innocent Ndah
Awa Innocent Ndah
AWellEarth.net
awolade v. o. (anglestone)
Aye'esha
Ayo Adedapo
Ayo Adedapo
Ayodeji Thomas Adewunmi
Azira Aziz
Azubike
Babayemi Peter
babs
Bamine C Boye
Barbara Marie Dearth
Barrie Becker
Basistha Nepal
Beary Special
Beautystone !
BEN HUR
Ben Warner
Benjamin BUYEMERE
Benson
Bernise Ang
Bitsy
Bobola
Branislav Orgonik
buburuza_03
Bunmi
C. Gudz
Carla
chantal kouakou
Charles Ugonna Onyegbado
Charlot Rosario
Chika
chima
Chime Hilary Uchenna
chinedu
Cicero
clarita zarate
Claudia
cmestoque
Colin Testa
Communications Officer
comr okwy obiefuna
Connie Walyaro
Corey Keith
Cory Haber
creamahik
Critical Peers
Critical Peers
Dabal Bista
damilola adegoke
daniel ayo
Daniel Roth
David
David
David Habba
davyk
Dawam Sarah Elisha
Dayo Israel
Dire Eyiuche
Donna Pianoforte
Dr Funso
Dr. 'Dumebi Nonso-Nwosu
Dr.A.Prabaharan
Drangon
Dumletam
Dumletam
dylan
Ebighe Eboseyi
Eboh Kingsley K
Edward Kankhomba
Edward Popoola
ekaji
Ekpon Theophilus
Eleanor James
Elissa
Emeka Diru
Emily Davila
Enobong Effiong
Eric
Eric Nicolas Schneider
Esther Agbarakwe
Etim Emmanuel
expatprof
Ezechukwu Ogochukwu nnanyelu
Fahad Malik
farhana siddique
Favour Peter
FEMI DUROJAYE
fred myers
Gabriela Alvarez
Ganiu Mutair Ayodele
Gbemisola
Gerald Derome
Global Education Network
GOVERNOR
Greet Narsingh
Gudina Fufa Yadeta
Hafiidhaturrahmah
Hafsat Abiola
harya
Haseeb
Hassan Nasir
Hauwa Umar
hearfeltservice
hekatea
hosh
HumanResourcesDevelopmentInstitute
Hussein
Ibikunle Olugbenga Samuel
IBRAHIM OYEKANMI
ICPD15
Idahosa Benson
igwebike chukwuma
ilyes
ilyes zine
Iman Ng
Irena Gapkovska
ISAN
ISIKWENU OGHENEFEGO
Isimeme
Itamaomon Precious
jacques lundja
Jason Haber
Jean de Dieu GATETE
Jennifer Quinlan
Jessica
Jessie
Jidban
Joaquin Rodriguez Badilla
Joel
Joel Kalpram
joey
John Blick
JOHN EDWARD MABULA
Jon Sato
Jonathan Kidney
Joya Banerjee
juan carlos blanco ortega
Judith Bosire
Juicykidd2008
Julien Comeau
jumoke faniyi
Kamil Olufowobi
Karsten Wenzlaff
Katarina Gulyasova
KEROO
Kimberly Bennett
Kimia
KLAAS KARABO MONATISI
Kondwani Thindwa
Konul Agayeva
kwan
Kyaw Su Thway
Lanre Sanni
Lê Bích Châu.
Lê Bích Châu.
Le Réseau global des jeunes engagés
Leopold Leslie Lanquaye Armah
linda msuku
linda msuku
Lisa Campbell Salazar
Liz Livelli
lola jagbalo
Lucas de Abreu Pinto
Lucas de Abreu Pinto
Luis García
Luísa Molina
lumiere
Maged Hassan
Maja Andjelkovic
manal
MARC 6P7
Marcus
Maria Badikova
Marilyn Bromberg
Marioliva
Max
mayowa adeniran
mayowa adeniran
Meg
Mercy
Mercy Chinwo
MG NETWORK
MG NETWORK
Michael Furdyk
Mitty
MOHAMMED ALIYU PAIKO
monch
Moses 2005
moyin adejuwon
Mu'azu Muhammad
Muqing
Mutiu
Mwansa Njelesani
Nandipha
neeta
Nestlestone I
Nick Moraitis
Nick Moraitis
Nicola Butler
Nina
Nonnoz
Nonnoz
Noor.D
Notre Dame Group of Schools
nwoke roy
nwoke roy
NYVC
O'Neil
obinna onyefuru
odebunmi oluwadamilola a
Odeh Patience
ogan davids
ogan davids
OGBUABO EMMANUEL
Okoli Evelyn
Ola Peter$
Oladapo Yinka
olaoye olusoji Emmanuel
olawale shogunle
Olori gentlestone
Olori Teetee !
Olowoyeye Oluwatosin Anu
olubanwo dare
Olumese Everistus
OLUMIDE IDOWU
Olutuase Oluwafemi Ayobami
OMOLAJA
omowumi
onafowope, omolara oluseye
onyinye
Opobo
osazuwa12
Ota Iku !
Owais
oyewole emmanuel
Padam Raj
pama
papa
Paris Hilton
Pascal Bekono
PATRICIO JOSE TRUJILLO MANRIQUEZ
Peculiar
Pham Thanh Nhon
Pleso
Prateek Suman Awasthí
Prince Charles Kash Jiduwah
PRINCE OKE
Prince Oluwatoba OMIDELE
Prometheus
Prudence
Prue Fan
Quirz
Racheal o Omogieda
Rachel M Jacobson
RAFT1
Raheem Akeem
Raheema
Raphael Chukwujekwu
Rateb
raulbash
raymond olatayo
Remmy
Rerenga
REV.DR. AYODELE O.PETER
Ricardo Baruch
Richard Y. Konan , MBA
Ricky
RIM
ro'ya mare'e
Ronke
Rony
Rosalind
rotexonline
Rotimi Alagbe
Sageconsult
Saladin
Sara
Sarah
Sayali9
Sean Amos
Selene Biffi
Serah Katusia
seriousspy
Sessi
seydina Lo
Shakti
shehu ishola musa
Shweta
Shweta
Shweta
Shweta
Silke Gebel
Simon
SOF-ElizabethR
Sofya
speak2ab
Specialist Doctor ! (Matron {Mrs.} A. A. Epoyun)
Statesmen Foundation, Inc. (sfi)
Stayfan
Stephen
Stephen
Stephen
Sudip Aryal
Sudip Aryal
sulail
SunnyBits
tayo adeyemi
Teeman.LIB
temitope ayodele
temmy
Teng Catong
The Cat
Theodora
Thomas Tobin
Tiara
Tiffany
Tobi Adenuga
todd thurier
tosin
TT
tushort
Tusye Agustina
Uba Courage
uduak nta
vanessa oduyoye
vanessa oduyoye
Vera
Veronica Ifeoma Ugwu
Victor
Víctor M.
Victor Ogbodo
Victor Sam
Vítor Massao
Vivian Alfred
vixie
VR_industriesTM
WalterTrejo
WeAreTeachers
x
Yanisa Paopiamsap
Yasmary Mora
Yassir EL OUARZADI
Yomi Mighty
Youth HIV/AIDS Alliance (YOHA)
youths4change
Zach
Zero
Zuhur
±‡±Omar Jorge Sanchez Arce±‡±
محمد

Links

www.aare.20fr.com
www.savechildrennow.org
www.studentworldassembly.org


223467 views
Important Disclaimer