HIV & AIDS-A Growing Problem In South Africa:

January 03-2005:

Mixed Messages About HIV & AIDS In South Africa:


Tonight I saw on BBC news, a situation where a woman died after taking Multivitamins in South Africa. She had AIDS, but was not on any anti-retroviral treatment for the disease.
This story is not unique to South Africa alone, but the entire continent of Africa. It was South Africa's President Mr. Embeke who said years ago that HIV does not exist, and refused to allow the importation of HIV drugs into the country.
Nor did he provide anti-retroviral drugs for those who are infected with the disease, even when the international community provided evidence that his people were indeed infected with HIV, and growing by leaps and bounds.
Because of the historical denial by the government, coupled with mixed messages, in-sufficient clinics, high costs, ill-equipped and under-staffing of available clinics, mixed messages and superstition have prevailed among the population of South Africa.
About the cause of this disease, and how to treat it. Many refuse to access medication (because of accessibility limitations), high costs, superstition, stigma, and mis-information about the benefits or lack thereof.
Concomitant with this problem, is improper nutrition, starvation, malnutrition, poverty, ignorance, malaria, drought, and other social ills continentally, that gave rise to the manner in which this virus spreads throughout the continent of Africa.
Om Shanti.
Derryck S. Griffith.
Educator & Advocate.