U.N. reports global spread of AIDS epidemic continues

The United Naitons published its 2004 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic July 6, ahead of the 15th International Conference on AIDS, which was held in Bangkok, Thailand, last week.\nThe report revealed that Asia, home to 60 percent of the world's population, has the fastest growing rate of HIV infection. An estimated 7.4 million people live with HIV in Asia, and there were an estimated 1.1 million new infections last year alone. The sharpest increases of HIV infection are in China, Indonesia and Vietnam. The report said areas of sub-Saharan Africa continue to suffer from the growing effect of the AIDS virus, with an estimated 25 million people now living with HIV. Among the hardest hit by the epidemic are women and orphans in undeveloped countries. There are an estimated 12 million orphans of parents who have died from the disease in sub-Saharan Africa.\nEric McLaughlin, a political science graduate student, said cultural norms contribute to some of the challenges women face in regard to HIV/AIDS.\n"In many places, for instance, the fact that women traditionally have very little control over sexual matters, including choices about condoms or contraception, makes the situation very bad for women," McLaughlin said. \nParticipants at the International AIDS Conference, which was held July 11-16, included scientists, community health workers and public officials, who gathered to discuss the political, socio-economic and health implications of the AIDS epidemic and ways to combat its spread.\nIn wake of the report and the conference, Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair announced Tuesday his government's intent to spend $2.4 billion on HIV-related programs. The programs will focus primarily on helping women and orphans affected by the global epidemic. \nThe conference examined the issue of limited access to antiretroviral medication and other HIV-related treatment throughout much of the world. Antiretroviral medication slows the spread of the AIDS virus within the human body but is not a cure for the disease.\nThe price of a combination antiretroviral regimen recommended by the World Health Organization to treat one HIV/AIDS patient for one year was between $10,000-$12,000 in 2000. The cost of treatment has decreased because of the increasing availability of generic drugs. The annual cost of generic combinations has fallen to $300 per person. Even though the cost of antiretroviral drugs has decreased substantially, the treatment remains unaffordable for a substantial number of people affected with HIV/AIDS globally. The cost of treatment, which includes antiretroviral medication, averages more than $1,000 per person annually in middle-income countries like Russia. \nIn South Africa the high cost of antiretroviral medicine makes the treatment available to only 2 percent of those who test positive for HIV.\nThe WHO estimates that nine out of 10 people who need HIV/AIDS-related treatment do not receive adequate health care. In sub-Saharan Africa, only 12 percent of the 4.3 million HIV/AIDS patients who need home-based personal care receive the treatment they need, while in South Asia the percentage falls to 2 percent. \nThe United Nations has encouraged world leaders to develop effective strategies and resources for combating the spread of HIV infection. According to the U.N. report, widespread discrimination against HIV-positive individuals continues to be a problem that hinders people from being tested or treated. Kathryn Brown, a health educator at the IU Health Center, said many people do not get tested for HIV because they believe they are not at risk of contracting the disease.\n"The majority of people who don't get tested fall into one of two groups: the people that don't think they are at risk and those that do think they might be at risk but are afraid of finding out that they are HIV positive," Brown said.\nStudents have two options for HIV testing in Bloomington. They can visit the IU Health Center or the Monroe County Community Health Services.\nThe Health Center offers students confidential HIV testing for $15 according to the Health Center's Web site, and results are available within a week. \nAt the Monroe County Community Health Services, students can get tested for free and have the results within 20 minutes. \nAccording to the Health Center Web site, the number of IU students infected with the virus is undeterminable because the testing is confidential. \nIn many regions, awareness of how the virus is transmitted and prevented remains low, contributing to a damaging stigmatization of people who have tested positive for the virus. The U.N. report said increased education and international coordination is central to combating the epidemic.\nWilliam Yarber, professor of applied health sciences, said there are several cultural factors that influence international perception of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.\n"Improving the situation is not simple." Yarber said. "It's also social and economic barriers that have to be overcome. These barriers are lack of resources and ideas about sexuality, challenging issues related to gender roles within a culture."\nThe U.N. report said the population of infected persons in the United States is also on the rise. An estimated 950,000 people are living with HIV in the United States, compared to 900,000 people in 2001.\nGraduate student David Mowery is a former employee of Genesis House, a Chicago non-profit organization that works in AIDS prevention among sex workers.\n"The reality of AIDS and its impact on our underclass is mind-numbing," Mowery said. "So much is needing to be done in (the United States), one of the most resource-rich countries." \n-- Contact staff writer Rynn Hagen at scrullip@indiana.edu.