Delayed Action in Fight Against AIDS Means Increased Long-Term Costs, Peter Piot Writes in Opinion Piece
If the global community does not "dramatically increase" its efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS, it will be "sowing the seeds of future humanitarian disasters -- not only in southern Africa. And the more we delay making a proper investment in the AIDS fight, the more the eventual costs will escalate," UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot writes in a Washington Post opinion piece. HIV/AIDS in Africa has caused a "steady fall" in agricultural production, with approximately seven million agricultural workers in 25 African nations dying of AIDS-related causes since 1985, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization, and Piot adds that the "shrink[ing]" incomes of people in the region have led to the current food crisis. In addition, more than 11 million children in Africa have lost one or both parents to AIDS-related causes. Although U.N. agencies have appealed for more than $600 million in assistance to African nations, the money likely will only "alleviate the symptoms" of the food crisis, which is "intensif[ying] and prolong[ing]" the HIV/AIDS epidemic there. But Africa is not the only continent facing an HIV/AIDS crisis; this year HIV/AIDS cases have increased 25% in Eastern Europe and 10% in Asia, where there are more than five million HIV-positive individuals in India and China alone. Piot adds that "invest[ing] heavily" in fighting HIV/AIDS by providing access to testing and treatments and by improving prevention efforts is "[o]ne of the best things we can do" to "safeguard economic and human development" worldwide (Piot, Washington Post, 11/27).
Newspapers Publish Stories on UNAIDS/WHO Report
Many newspapers from around the world yesterday and today published stories on different aspects of the biannual AIDS report, titled "AIDS Epidemic Update," that was released yesterday by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization. The following is a list of some of those articles, listed in alphabetical order by newspaper or news service name:
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AP/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: "Women Account for Half of HIV Cases, Report Says" (Ross, AP/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/27)
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BBC News: "More Women Than Men Hit by HIV/AIDS" (BBC News, 11/26)
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Boston Globe: "Half of Those With HIV Are Women" (Donnelly, Boston Globe, 11/27)
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Chicago Tribune: "Women AIDS Victims Multiply: Females Make Up Half of Infected" (Manier, Chicago Tribune, 11/27)
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Detroit Free Press: "A Global Battle: AIDS Epidemic Gains Ground and Victims" (Detroit Free Press, 11/27)
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Financial Times: "Half of Global HIV Cases Found in Women " (Firn/Lamont, Financial Times, 11/27)
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Financial Times: "AIDS Orphans Expected to Double By 2010" (Lamont, Financial Times, 11/26)
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Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel: "Worsening AIDS Epidemic Threatens Stability in Africa, Asia" (Collie, Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, 11/27)
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Globe and Mail: "HIV/AIDS Epidemic Affects 42 Million Around the Globe, United Nations Says" (Freeman, Globe and Mail, 11/27)
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Los Angeles Times: "Female AIDS Cases on Rise" (Farley, Los Angeles Times, 11/27)
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New York Times: "Women With HIV Reach Half of Global Cases" (Altman, New York Times, 11/27)
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Newsday: "Global AIDS Crisis Deepening" (Garrett, Newsday, 11/27)
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Reuters/Yahoo! News: "U.N. Says Vast Populations Mask Asian AIDS Crisis" (Eaton, Reuters/Yahoo! News, 11/26).
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Reuters/Yahoo! News: "UNICEF Demands Action on AIDS Orphan Crisis" (Reuters/Yahoo! News, 11/26)
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San Francisco Chronicle: "AIDS Fuels Southern Africa Famine" (Russell, San Francisco Chronicle, 11/27)
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USA Today: "Women Now Make Up Half of AIDS Cases, U.N. Study Finds" (Sternberg, USA Today, 11/27)
- Wall Street Journal: "AIDS's Spread Inflames Other Crises" (Zimmerman, Wall Street Journal, 11/27)
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Washington Post: "Women Make Up Half of HIV Cases" (Brown, Washington Post, 11/27)
NPR's "All Things Considered" yesterday reported on the UNAIDS report. The segment includes comments from Piot, University of California-San Francisco epidemiologist Andrew Moss and Neff Walker of the World Health Organization. Both Moss and Walker were involved in developing the estimates (Silberner, "All Things Considered," NPR, 11/26). The full segment is available in RealPlayer Audio online. This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.