AIDS in Africa: how big is our responsibility?

Question

This question was asked at the Dropping Knowledge event on 9th
September by Judith, 23, Munich, Germany.

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Answer 1

Well, we are all humans, and we have a duty to be compassionate and to help in any way we can, up to the point where we are doing harm to ourselves in helping others. Give what you can afford to a worthy cause, but do not impoverish yourself and your family to help others.

Remember that research has shown that AIDS probably came out of Africa in the first place, which means they have had longer to pass it around, and probably far less in the way of real medical care, less of public education into the risks, etc. We could certainly help with that kind of thing, and I'm sure we are.

Condom manufacturers should be persuaded to make major contributions (good for their publicity), and obviously various United Nations and International Red Cross organizations which already have the people's trust should be helping distribute them, and inform the public of their risks. Certainly we can afford to help with testing and whatever palliative care we've got. But as I understand it, there is still no cure, so it's preventing the spread that must be the emphasis.

Yes, we have a duty to help. The whole world, not just the US.

Answer 2

As much as we want to believe we live in an isolated country, we don't. More than ever the people of the world are travelling between continents for business, pleasure, education and immigration purposes. And we do not restrict the entry of a certain person to another country based on his/her nationality because the rest of us fear that he/she could be carrying a virulent disease. It would be impractical and on some levels wrong.
HIV is a virus. Viruses mutate and if un-checked may mutate to a form that can spread by other means. And when this happens, it will effect all of us.
So, for this reason, AIDS is the responsibility of the entire global village. But this is a cold, rational reason.
The more humane reason why AIDS is the world's responsibility and not just Africa's responsibility is that the people in Africa are suffering. And eventhough they are not from our own country, they are still PEOPLE.
Africa is suffering from this disease not only because of the lack of medication but mostly out of the lack of education surrounding the disease. It is a tragic thing to see the massive loss of human life caused by ignorance and the cold, hard rationale that tells us that "AIDS in Africa and it is not our problem."
It is tragic to know that we can make a difference and refuse to because we're so hung up by our own selfish, myopic existance.

Side note: If it was America that was suffering (from a health crisis or economically), would you like the help of another country to help rebuild/help it if they had the means to? How would you feel if they said - "Well, it's not my problem. Let them suffer because they don't pay taxes in my country?"

What happened to our hearts? When did we grow so cold?

Answer 3

It is very much the entire worlds responsibility, not only from a moral standpoint, but also from a health standpoint. My mother worked for the World Health Organization in Geneva Switzerland in the Aids department, and she told me many many horror stories about Africa, most of which have since been made public world wide.

It is said that one in 3 people in africa stand an excellent chance of getting aids. The factors involved are lack of knowledge, lack of protective measures such as condoms, the general area where aids outbreaks happen (I.e., far from cities where they can get help) and just the simple fact that so many people have it.

If the world does not take up this responsibility, Africa will eventually kill itself off. In this process, many people with HIV or AIDS will leave their country and seek new places to live, further spreading the disease.

Left alone, the entire world is at a great risk for becoming infected. The Aids virus also mutates. Science does not know for a fact that HIV will also remain only transmittable by blood or bodily fluids. If the virus should get a chance to mutate so that it can be transfered via air as the common cold is, the entire world is no longer just at risk, but will be infected.

No, the epidemic needs to be cured now, we cannot, as a people, afford to wait any longer and allow it the chance to become an airborn virus.

Answer 4

One fact is clear: One person on his/her own cannot do anything against this complex problem. You can aid several people, a little community, when you go there and engage in development aid or stuff...that's a drop in the ocean and can't solve the problem itself, but it IS help! There are many reasons why the AIDS-rate in Africa is that high, but the most evident and eminent cause is the wide-spread poverty. It's not our fault, and it's not the fault of people who are born in Africa now. We can hardly change the system or the history of many countries. But we could have the willingness to help, in our minds, when push comes to shove.

Answer 5

I think we are hiding the cure, just like the FDA punishes whoever seems to have a cure for many other things, because medical care is such Big Business.

One cure known to have worked in the past has to do with goats. You inject the Aids virus into a goat, wait two months, then take some of its blood, with the antibodies it has produced, and inject it into the person with Aids.

Answer 6

its not really our responsibility but of those who fail or refuse to wear condoms for example to stop the increase and spread of sexually transmitted diseases. unfortunately, due to ignorance and a lack of education people prefer to ignore this and carry on having sex for example, without realising the dire consequences that goes with it. and by the way, its not just people in africa where Aids is a massive problem- you also have to take a look at China to see how bad it has got over there as well!

Answer 7

I do not know how responsible you and your people are. My family and I have no responsibility at all for what is happening in that part of the world. We do what we do for them out of charity, not responsibility.

Judith, if you know something about this AIDS epidemic you had better come clean. I don't think you are personally responsible because you are not old enough. Perhaps your parents or grand parents?

Answer 8

If a society is too stupid to understand the concepts of STDs, condoms and abstinence, I see nothing wrong with nature culling the herd. I've seen interviews of African husbands flat out admitting (via translators) that it's good to go to the next village and have sex with "many prostitutes", fully aware they are at risk of getting infected, and then come home and proceed to have sex with their wives.

People this stupid deserve AIDS. The sooner, the better. Get them out of the gene pool.

Answer 9

Responsibility??
None. I think it is a shame that Americans feel this bleeding heart to try and "help" other nations. I think it is obvious from our past and even current world events, that the more we interfere the worst things get.
You may want to tell me that there is a difference between a health crisis and a military liberation, but I beg to differ. They are both a total waste of resources.
Let me in turn ask this question.
Why should America try to ease the AIDS epidemic in Africa, or Liberate the Iraqis, or Protect the Kuwatis when we have homless on OUR streets and children dying from disease and neglect in OUR neighborhoods?
Why is it so much easier to adopt a baby from Asia than one from across town?
Our infrastructure is so polluted with CAREER politicains who lust for power. I say in order to cure the world we must first cure ourselves.

Answer 10

I have never been to Africa and plan never to go and have no part in the introduction or spread of the AIDS virus. So, My / our responsibility is to help, that's it, just to help. I do this by donating to charities and paying taxes, the USA Government sends Billions of dollars in aid to Africa yearly and charities also give billions more.

I cannot save the world, I only help where I can