This article is called At Front Lines, AIDS War Is Falling Apart by Donald G. McNeil Jr. who is a science and health reporter who specializes in plagues and pestilences, it was published on May 9th 2010, and this is from the New York Times magazine http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/world/africa/10aids.html?scp=1&sq=epidemic%20disease&st=cse
This article is about how the war on global AIDS is falling apart as more and more each day people are not being able to afford the drugs they need for treatment, and how there are no drugs to even treat the people in Uganda. The article starts with Dinavance Kamukama she is infected with AIDS and its so bad that her kidneys are failing and she cant even barely walk. She states that so many people are depending on the help of Americans and wonder if they cannot help her? McNeil states that the past decade has been considered a "golden window" where as drugs that costed 12,000 were being lowered to as little as 100 which were being payed by Americans, but that the window is now closing. Which cause people to be put on a waiting list for drugs that most cant even get on until a patient dies. An American run program in Mozambique has been told to stop opening up clinics because of drug shortages. They state that the collapse was set off by the global recession's effects on the donors and that more lives would be saved if they fought other cheaper diseases.
In Uganda there are over 500,000 that need treatment, 200,000 that are getting it, but each year, an additional 110,000 are infected. Dr. Kihumuro who is the director-general of the Uganda AIDS commission states that “You cannot mop the floor when the tap is still running on it,” which is very true because you try so hard to treat these people and keep them from getting worse but then each day a new case is found and is even stronger than the last on.
I thought this article was very sad to think about because it is so easy for us to just go to the doctors and get seen and treated for almost anything that is wrong with us but these people get put on ridiculous waiting lists that are almost impossible to get on. This article makes me think about the importance of staying safe aand how much a little education can go because im pretty sure most of these cases could have been prevented.
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This article is eye-opening. We read about the statistics but to read personal stories of those suffering in other countries. As Lia was saying, we often forget how lucky we are to live in the U.S. and be provided with the eduation and knowledge to prevent contracting AIDS and the opportunities to receive treatment. These people need our help and resources to have a chance.
ReplyDeleteI also found this article to be a little scary because based on the information and also what we've talked about in class, it seems as though we are losing the fight against HIV/AIDS. The disease is mutating rapidly and it is hard for scientists and researchers to develop treatments.
I found the quote, "You cannot mop the floor when the tap is still running on it," to be extremely true. People are trying so hard to fix the problem, but the problem is getting worse. More and more people are falling victim to this awful disease and a plan needs to be put into place to stop it.
This article was very interesting. I hate hearing that because the United States has to pull out of services and help less people, other countries are going to suffer. I understand that drug prices are extremely high, but I feel like people in America who can do something to help should be working at lowering the costs and finding ways to pay for the drugs, like Paul Farmer did in Haiti. I do not think that pulling out and stopping giving help and support is the answer.
ReplyDeleteWow! This article set me back a few steps. I really enjoy reading about Africa and its countries so I really liked this article. What I found very interesting was the line, "She states that so many people are depending on the help of Americans and wonder if they cannot help her?" This stuck out to me because there was no discretion. It is an obvious matter that poor and dying countries are reliant on the US to help them. When in despair, they turn to us and expect America to help them. That's very powerful. Because of our advantages, it's as if we are obligated to help the lagging countries around us. That is very overwhelming and burdening for America, but also something that we must take responsibility for. What also stuck out to me was the line, "You cannot mop the floor when the tap is still running on it." It immediately reminded me of the quote in Mountains Beyond Mountains, "Giving people medicine for TB and not giving them food is like washing your hands and drying them in the dirt." They relate in the fact that there is a need for complete effort and action. You cannot take a matter such as AIDS or TB and "half-ass" the effort to help and save the sufferers. However, it can be an overwhelming task because of the endless amount of people who continue to get sick while others are being treated. The AIDS issue is very depressing and it is extremely unfortunate that money is the wall stopping patients from living a healthy life.
ReplyDeleteThis problem with AIDS medication is familiar after reading Mountains Beyond Mountains. It's really unfortunate to see companies abandon projects such as fighting AIDS to instead go towards "more profitable" enterprises. As others have pointed out, "You cannot mop the floor when the tap is still running on it" is a great way of putting the issue. What seems like common sense is something that people often don't consider.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this was a very interesting, yet sad article. It is really depressing to know that so many people with a treatable disease like AIDS are not being treated because they cannot afford the necessary drugs. There should be some kind of way to make it possible for everyone who needs it to receive suitable care. Especially with a disease like AIDS, the more money you have, the better drugs you can buy. If you are poorer, you might only be able to afford the cheap, and less effective medicine. This article was very relevant to our class because right now we are learning about AIDS and it also can connect nicely to "Mountains Beyond Mountains."
ReplyDeleteIt's very interesting to compare health care in different countries. In some of the Scandinavian countries they give free health care to everyone and they'll come to your house if you can't make it to a clinic. This is so drastically opposed to that since people not only have to get money from somewhere for the drugs but they also have to be put on waiting lists before they can even take them. It's sad to think that there are places in the world like that where people don't have access to good health care and medications.
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