Hmm...Are these the thoughts going through my head while attempting to start up a new blog? Well, kind of. But they also represent a few key words in the titles of books depicting the harsh, deadly, dark, yet invisible mountain called HIV that we must combat or face certain annihilation of all mankind. I don't mean to be so over the top, but I had high hopes when I began the book "Moving Mountains: the Race to Treat Global AIDS" by Anne-Christine D'Adesky. Yet after reading the introduction I feel a little discouraged. It begins with a classic sob story:
Once upon a time in a desolate shantytown in Haiti, surrounded by abject poverty and a loving family, a man who was once a brilliant, brave AIDS activist stands vulnerable and delirious before us. And then he dies. It then goes on to talk about the 25 million people who have died of AIDS, and the 42 million affected with the virus, but make sure to note that 35 million of the 42 million are from less developed countries, and 28 million of the 35 million of those people live in sub-Saharan Africa which come to think of it, we learned in class that the 42 million was inaccurate and that it was closer to 40 million and of those 40 million only 26 million lived in sub-Saharan Africa. Clear everyone?
Next, as we slowly trudge up the first foothill, we learn of another woman who may die due to lack of ARVs and of the thousands that lack needed medications. We then learn about the costliness of ARV treatment, and the ugly profit motives of drug companies. Luckily we reach a plateau of hope with the influx of new Western humanitarian aid leveraged at AIDS groups but we start trekking again past the 6 million people in need of ARVs, toward the "doomsday" of dried up funds, weak infrastructures, stigma, and inequalities. Finally, as we approach the peak (of the introduction), we are urged not to jump yet, because interesting models from India, Cuba, South Africa and Russia that are right around the bend...
So I'm exaggerating a little. The introduction wasn't that bad, but I'm sick of every AIDS book, every AIDS article, and as Dr. Thurman mentioned in her lecture, every grant proposal using the same formula: A heart wrenching story, catastrophic numbers, followed by what we are doing wrong. I'm not sure I have the answer for how we should frame this epidemic, and hey, maybe that formula is working...AIDS is the trendy, fundable disease at the moment. It just seems like we have been following the same blueprint for years, with little success in actual decline in HIV infections. As we see from the recent UNAIDS statement: the"epidemic is outpacing the response."
Anyway, I chose this book because it contains country case studies from across the globe. While Africa is certainly the focus (rightly so) of much of the AIDS efforts, many other parts of the world are coping with this "deadly plague" as well. Also, the author chooses to focus on the treatment approach to reduce stigma and mitigate the effects of the disease. Coming from the world of a Peace Corps health volunteer who saw prevention as the golden ticket, panacea for all the worlds problems I am interested to hear more about what treatment has to offer.
So.....My Objectives for this blog:1. Summarize and analyze the various country case studies presented in this book.
2. Treatment is ok....but is it sustainable? is it taking away funds from prevention?
3. Come up with a better way to start an AIDS book. (we'll see.....)
4. (Hopefully) link this book to several of the main themes touched on in class: "the West's" role in providing aid, individual vs. community rights, culturally appropriate messages, and the role of ARVs in this "fight"
5. Provide a mildly entertaining/interact format in which to address these issues.
I'll leave you with some tear jerking book cover images to keep you riveted and reaching for your pocketbook to donate to Save the Children until my next post....
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