The United Nations conference on AIDS has concluded in Vienna. It has been taking place during a time of the year when many of us are less attentive to the news, but it seems to me that it is still important for all people and all Christians to consider this pandemic.
The good news is that reported cases of HIV are down in Canada. The bad news is that during a time of economic restraint in many nations, funding for AIDS projects in developing nations has "flat-lined" as one involved person puts it.
I heard a researcher and activist talking about the international picture at the beginning of the week, and he mentioned that providing the anti-viral drugs for those who are already infected greatly reduces the possibility of others being infected, whether sexual partners or unborn children. I hadn't realized this connection.
I hope that the world continues to see the importance of battling AIDS/HIV. And I hope the church of Christ, in its various expressions, is part of this effort. I have mentioned before that I see AIDS as the modern-day equivalent of leprosy. We have Jesus' example of reaching out to and healing those who were ostracized and vilified in that culture. He embodied Good News to those who had given up hope.
Have you paid much attention to the reports out of this conference? Do you know anyone living with AIDS/HIV? Have your attitudes changed over the years and how?
2 comments:
The leprosy connection is a sensible one, for sure.
Attitudes have definitely changed from the nadir of the 1980s, and funding should continue to support an eventual cure for this awful disease.
In the meantime, it's up to everyone everywhere to ensure the containment of the HIV virus.
I lost a very dear friend to AIDS in the 1990s. By then we knew the modes of transmission of the disease, but there was still a lot of misunderstanding about the disease and I still see the same attitudes today. I was just beginning my nursing practise at the time so I was able to do extensive research on the disease. The antivirals have improved over the years, but the attitude of "leprosy" is still out there. There are a lot of religious groups condemning the suffering for being in sin or unclean, but how can a baby be labeled like this? Funding is vital for the availability of antiviral drugs. If the mother gets the drugs during her pregnancy, the chances of her baby being HIV negative is very high.
We are doing better in Canada, but in Africa there is still a huge problem getting antivirals to the people who really need it.
We need to encourage our government to continue to supply aid to the countries that need it.
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