AIDS: What Hope for this New Millennium

According to figures, 33 millions people were infected in 1997, 37 millions in 1998 and 50 millions in 1999. These figures are revealing and become progressively worrying and even alarming. And by the way, how many are they going to be in this new millennium ?

The 17th World Day against AIDS was celebrated worldwide December 1st. After 17 years of struggle, all the efforts made to eradicate the epidemic are doomed to fail. Indeed, thousands of men and women die as a result of their sexual behaviours, leaving orphans as victims of AIDS.

Up till today, AIDS is not curable and there's no vaccine which can prevent the HIV/AIDS infection.

For a few reasons, some people refuse to admit that AIDS exists and is wiping out the most productive sector of our society. They refuse to acknowledge that they are permanently exposed to the disease and that they take the risk to be infected through their sexual behaviour.

Some people say they have found out the solution by selecting their partners and think that they're protected. " She is in good health so she can't catch the HIV virus… it is quite a good time since we've been together so we don't need to use condoms during sexual intercourses…be as if we were not actually in love " they say.

Others makes arguments such as "our love is so strong that even if there's a manifestation of the disease, it would fly away…A strong love doesn't fear diseases! ". Or arguments such as "if AIDS really exists as it's said, why do westerners invent pills like viagra? Why should The World Health Organization (WHO) accept its marketing"?

All these derived from arguments behind which people like to justify their " ignorance". In most cases, the person living with the virus can look very strong and healthy. However in later years, the realities of the disease are manifest when symptoms start appearing on the person.

While waiting for a medicine to be found against the disease, the only efficient weapon is abstinence or to least the use of condoms.

But often, you hear things such as "It's only after the act that I say to myself I should have used a condom . But every time, people repeat the same mistakes. Or when you hear that sex worker who said "I really want them to use condoms but when customers come and propose three times as much as the cost of a pass, I have to give in. What do you want? There's much to be pessimistic".

Can we nurture the hope that AIDS would one day, be defeated ? May be Doctor Toudji's (a traditional physician in Togo) discovery of a medicine that may cure HIV/AIDS called " TOBACOAKS " will one day help us and at a reasonable price, But meanwhile, we must protect ourselves for, as it's always said. " Prevention is better than cure".