Essay
Gallery
HIV in Africa
by Harei Nishimura
In this essay I present my research on the Human Immunodeficiency virus. I am interested in HIV because I regard 40 million people who have suffered from the HIV and AIDS lives in the earth as a big problem for the present world and the future of human beings. I am going to cover 3 main points. I want to explore why the HIV infectious disease is spreading quickly in Botswana, what solutions to HIV the African nations have taken for a long time and what actions the developed countries and the UN have taken for the countries which have suffered from HIV and the domestic patients who have suffered from HIV. First I will show you the lack of sex education, a wall of prejudice and the religious traditions make the Botswana situation of HIV very bad, then I will cover the African countries that have taken some treatments; a medical examination for the expectant mother and prevail the sex education but they have not been able to take enough treatments because of a lack of money, Finally I will demonstrate the UN have pondered about this problem and the solutions but the developed countries have been absorbed in the export of weapons for the developing countries, especially the African countries .
In any study of the HIV, it is important to know the background details. Now the HIV virus and AIDS are the most dangerous disease in the world. 40 million people have suffered from this. In addition, 3 million people died of HIV last year. Therefore the HIV problem became one of the most important problems for human beings.
What are the causes of the HIV? I think the HIV is caused by a lack of the sex education, a little interest in the HIV and the religious traditions. The effects are 40 million people suffer from the HIV, millions of people die a year and these tragedies produce many orphans.
I think the HIV is similar to the war because many people die in a war. However the HIV is different from the war because the war is the factitious problem and many people are interested in this and endeavor to stop the war very hard.
Why is the HIV infectious disease spreading quickly and the coverage of the HIV patient is 40 % of the nation in Botswana. I will show you the lack of sex education, a wall of prejudice and the religious traditions; the bishops of Catholicism said condoms are an immoral and a bad way to prevent the HIV. So they force the flock of Christ to stop using condoms. In this connection, Christians comprise more than 60 % of the nation in Botswana. I think these things make the Botswana's situation of the HIV very bad. The lack of sex education has the young people ignorant about the danger of HIV and the meaning of sex and sex education which the government directs is a very scholarly thing, with the result that the people do not show interest in HIV. A wall of prejudice lets the people who catch the HIV veil the truth so the patients who are infected with HIV increase and according to the New York Times, the religious traditions have a great influence on the flock of Christ in Botswana and make the patients who are infected with AIDS increase.
I have shown the lack of sex education, a wall of prejudice and religious traditions make the Botswana's situation of HIV very bad, now I will cover the African countries which have taken some treatments; a medical examination for the expectant mother and familiarized the sex education but they have not been able to take enough treatment because of a lack of money. So putting condoms the public toilets is the limit of the government's measure against the HIV, according to the Asahi Shinbun 4.April 2004. Therefore I think the problem is very important for the African countries and the world, so the individual country should cooperate with the other countries more actively than now, for example they should exchange some information and ideas with other countries and consider a plan against the HIV. Because now the lack of partnership in Africa have existed for long time with many wars and the civil wars.
I have covered the African countries have taken the some treatments, but they have not been able to take enough treatments because of a lack of money, now I will show the UN have pondered about the HIV problem and the solutions but the developed countries have been absorbed in the export of weapons for the developing countries. According to News Week, the P5 of Security Council export 86% of weapons for the African countries. I believe if the developed countries change the viewpoint that they make a point of exporting many weapons for the various African countries into a new angle that they emphasize the importance of the environment and the human security, then the death rate of the HIV decrease. Because the big money which the governments use for purchasing the weapons from the developed countries, especially America and Russia move to the expense of some measures against HIV.
But the UN have pondered and wrestled with the HIV problem. For example, the UNAIDS support the African countries which have suffered from the HIV and the members of the UN and NGO members educate some good measures and build the system against the HIV. According to the Washington Post, these acts are very beneficial but the money is yet lacking for enough treatment and support. So the UN hopes that Japanese government contribute $ 100 million to support the countries which have suffered from HIV. Mr. Kobayashi who is a professor of international politics at Tokyo University said the same idea, according to the Asahi shinbun the 17, March, 2004.
In brief I have shown the lack of sex education, a wall of prejudice and the religious traditions make the Botswana' situation of the HIV very bad, the African countries have taken some treatments; a medical examination for the expectant mother and sex educations but they have not been able to take enough treatments because of a lack of money and the UN have pondered about this problem and the solutions but the developed countries have been absorbed in the export of weapons for the developing countries, especially the African countries. The situation might improve if many countries are more interested in the HIV problem and improve and popularize the condom without forcing people to use it. However the situation might deteriorate if many developed countries keep making a point of exporting weapons and import the economies. I think the HIV will not be an ailment which defies all treatments and nobody will die of HIV in the future because people will gradually cooperate with the others and are interested in HIV problem. Believe all possibilities, because nothing is impossible.
Bibliography
Author not named (2004) Botswana's situation, Asahi Shinbun.
Kobayashi, K. (2003) The HIV in the world, Iwanami sya, p.10-p.165
