Why is fighting AIDs more important than fighting other disease?

Question

It seems as if much of the emphasis on providing funds for research or to help less fortunate countries is always on AIDS.

Why don't we governments or individuals talk about curing or fighting malaria, sanitation-caused illnesses, cancer, heart disease, kidney disease or other health issues that kill just as many people or more than AIDS does.

It there a political agenda behind fighting AIDS?

Answer 1

I agree & its Hollywood since the 80s since AIDS then hit the celebs & etc types thus the PR & hoopla.
Yes I agree ALL diseases need R&D & funding to find cures.
I urge a Combined Fund for such worldwide.
Use Online to share data.
etc.
Doable.
Involve ALL colleges & Univs.
Wow.
But NO AIDS is #1.
& Africa was where AIDS came from.
Yes AIDS is political.

Answer 2

If you think this is a "homosexual" issue you are sadly mistaken. You really are living in the 1980's. Nowadays this is an issue that many, many people face-all over the world. The concern is also that this virus could develop into a new and even more highly contagious strain. There is, by the way, a lot of money going into fighting heart disease and cancer etc. But what causes heart disease and cancer? Well, things like tobacco and Mcdonalds. And who supports our politicians...well, companies like Marlboro and Mcdonalds... Luckily enough, drug companies also support politicians. So, we can all get sick by what certain companies sell us, and then all try to get better by the pills that other companies sell us. AIDS is different. Now if condom manufacturers had more money in politics, we could start to cure this horrible virus!

Answer 3

In undeveloped countries, communicable diseases are a bigger problem than cancer, heart disease and kidney disease. These chronic degenerative diseases become more important after communicable diseases are under control.
Of course fighting malaria and polio is as important as AIDS, even in Africa where AIDS is much more prevalent than it is in the US.
One reason I don't begrudge AIDS research, however, is that efforts are being made to cure it; and medicine has never yet been able to cure a viral disease. Once they can cure AIDS, it won't be long before they can cure the common cold or any other virus. That will be something!

Answer 4

Because of all the illnesses that you listed, AIDS is the only communicable virus. It is also the only illness that you listed that people have any control over avoiding. Genetics play a role in cancer, heart disease, kidney disease. You truly can't stop mosquitoes from biting you, so avoiding malaria is also beyond your control. AIDS, on the other hand, is somewhat avoidable. We know the primary causes, we know how to avoid its spread.

By bemoaning the fate of AIDS victims, at least the adults in this country, politicians appear to care. In reality, they are basically pissing in the wind. If we want to "cure" AIDS, or any other communicable illness, we would have to get past the stigma of birth control, and the idea that we are "interfereing" with other people's right to live their own lives. Meanwhile, children are dying every day because we choose to foster ignorance and apathy in other countries.

Answer 5

Because ignorance associated with it has created a fact-18.8% of the South African population is infected.
it is cheaper to teach prevention than to treat the disease.
Can't say it really matters. People can be told a certain activity is not healthy- smoking, eating fats, dangerous sexual habits- and they still go ahead. But when it affects children borne with the disease through no action on their part- well...
Another point. I remember wearing a little double cross thing as a kid for TB cure. That was over 50 years ago. Have they cured it?
Maybe ALL research for "cures" is politically charged.


This "fact" that the first answerer gave- was that from Wilt Chamberlain's diary?
"one study reports that 43% admit to 500 or more partners in a lifetime."
You can't trust polls- everybody brags in those.

Answer 6

Here's how you discover the right answer. If you had AIDS and you were sitting in the dirt of a village in Kenya would you want someone to take you by the hand, give you some water and a safe place to die, Would you be thankful that for the last year of your life you didn't have to indure unbearbale pain because someone made it bearable. And would you be thankful that you weren't alone. If you say yes then that is you answer. If you say no then you are a liar and your opinion above can not be trusted.

Answer 7

Part of it is obviously because AIDS is a relatively new disease and therefore will ignite emotions among the public. That being said, 60% of AIDS cases in the world are in Africa and cases keep increasing. There are over 20 million orphans in Africa due to AIDS. The virus is causing life expectancies to fall dramatically.

There is also a huge stigma in many African countries against condom use. This makes prevention incredibly difficult.

If you're interested in this topic, check out Stephen Lewis.

Answer 8

It's not.

And yes there is an agenda.

Look at what has happened in Africa. If that were to happen here, all those politicos would be unable to to have unprotected sex with hookers and interns without fear of death.

EDITED TO ADD:

The first poster has given you *a few* correct statistics, and *many* false ones. That is the oldest way to con people, and unfortunately the most effective. Believe what you will.

Answer 9

because the feeling of greater wealth is a primary reason why US consumers have virtually ... More than 11 million people died of infectious disease called AIDS.

- good luck

Answer 10

first of all our country should worry about themselves first before any other country. but these less fortunate countries have a wide spread of out break of AIDS more then the other diseases because the keep spreading it around to each other. cancer,heart disease and others aren't pass thru each other like AIDS. and the government will focus on what ever makes them look good.