Posted on: Thursday, July 8, 2004
EDITORIAL
Rich nations must do more against AIDS
Despite much cheaper and more available anti-HIV drugs and greater political commitment in many developing countries, the world is still losing ground in its fight against the AIDS epidemic, a U.N. agency reported this week.
Experts warn that HIV infection rates are increasing most in Asia, led by countries like China, Vietnam and Indonesia, threatening results as grim as those now seen in Africa. Efforts must be focused there quickly, says the UNAIDS report, to prevent "a full-blown AIDS catastrophe."
Among the report's sobering statistics:
The report estimates that $12 billion will be needed next year in the fight against HIV/AIDS, more than twice current spending, growing to $20 billion by 2007.
President Bush has pledged $15 billion over five years, but that money, the appropriation of which is behind schedule, is restricted to relatively ineffective abstinence programs.
In comparison, Bush has budgeted $10.2 billion to continue the development of an ineffective and unneeded missile defense system. the Pentagon's supplemental request next year for the Iraq war, over and above its regular budget, will exceed $25 billion.
And this raises an interesting point. The spending on the missile defense system is grounded on the theory that it is important to America's security interests. But what could be more critical to our security interests in this part of the world than a stable, prosperous and successful Asia?
AIDS prevention goes directly to this point. When AIDS becomes rampant, it tends to target those people who make a society succeed: young men and women of child-bearing age with their working lives ahead of them.
AIDS leaves behind the helpless young and the elderly, just the recipe for instability.
The United States and other rich nations can and must do more.
