An Epidemic of Mass Proportion

This past weekend Shanley and I arrived in Durban, South Africa to begin the second leg of our internship. Durban is on the East Coast of the country and is very lush with scenery; although the climate is much hotter and more humid than Cape Town. The focus of this part of the internship is directed to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa; it is so widespread in a sense that it can be difficult to imagine for those living elsewhere. To help give perspective, here are some of the hard facts:

-In South Africa, one in five adults are infected with HIV

-Half of all deaths, and 71% of deaths among those aged between 15 and 49, are caused by AIDS

-In 2005, there were 1.2 million children orphaned by AIDS

-The average life expectancy in South Africa is 54 years; without AIDS it is estimated to be 64 years.

-In 1990 the first national antenatal survey to test for HIV found that 0.8% of pregnant women were HIV positive. By 2005 the rate had increased to 30.2%.

You may be reading and asking yourself, "Why did South Africa's AIDS epidemic go unchecked for so long?" From what I've learned so far, it's a problem that can be traced back to leadership, even in the last few years there have been mixed messages from the government on this issue:

-The most rapid increase of HIV prevelance took place between 1993 - 2000, during which time the country underwent major political changes with the disembarkment of Apartheid and so the problem was not given adequate attention.

-In 2000 at the International AIDS Conference in Durban, President Mbeki gave a speech conveying his belif that poverty, not HIV, was the root cause of AIDS.

-In 2006, then deputy president Jacob Zuma was on trial for allegedly raping an HIV positive woman. He attracted further controversy when he stated that he showered after sex in belief that this reduced his chances of becoming infected with HIV.

-In 2006, the health minister of South Africa spoke at the International AIDS Conference and promoted nutrition (specifically beetroot juice) rather than antiretrovirals (ARVs) for the treatment of HIV.

In response to the epidemic there have been mass campaigns throughout the country.  Evidence of this can be seen all over, especially in healthcare environments, with posters and other propaganda pertaining to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  Here's just a sampling: