Copyright 2001 Sun Media Corporation  
The Toronto Sun
June 11, 2001 Monday, Final Edition
SECTION: Editorial/Opinion; Pg. 16; My City, My Home
JULES ELDER, TORONTO SUN

We Must Mount a Global Attack on AIDS

Twenty years ago last week the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States issued its first report on the deadly, and so far incurable, disease known as AIDS.

As fate would have it, on June 6 a memorial service was held in South Africa for Nkosi Johnson, the 12-year-old AIDS victim - born with the virus -who became a symbol for the struggle against the deadly disease.

Another coincidence: on June 1, the day Nkosi died, Stephen Lewis, Canada's former ambassador to the United Nations, was appointed the world body's special envoy to AIDS in Africa.

I have been concerned about the spread of AIDS for a long time. Initially, it was thought the disease struck mainly gay men. How wrong we were.

The growth among heterosexuals, both male and female, is astounding; and will continue to decimate families, communities and countries.

It's estimated that, worldwide, 36 million people are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. So far 22 million have died.

In Africa, some 26 million are infected with the virus, 55% of them women.

And the UN reports that 17 million Africans have died from AIDS-related causes.

The figures for Africa are staggering. And those of us who live in the West should take note, because the spread is global.

David Bloom, professor of economics and demography at Harvard University's School of Public Health, says: "During the past 10 years, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States has undergone a dramatic transformation from one concentrated primarily among homosexual men to an epidemic that is closely associated with the inner city."

AIDS is the No. 1 cause of death for African-Americans between 25 and 44 years of age, says the CDC.

In the Caribbean, HIV/AIDS is also reaching epidemic levels. It is taking its toll on the population, particularly teenagers and young adults, but also older men and women. Governments throughout the region are stepping up the focus on trying to stem the spread of the disease, mainly through education and emphasis on the benefits of safe sex.

Health Canada says there are at least 50,000 Canadians living with HIV.

Across the country, several government agencies and community groups are helping those infected with the disease and participating in preventive programs. In Toronto, the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP) has spent the past 11 years pursuing its mission: "To reduce the spread of HIV infection within black communities. (And) To enhance the quality of life of black people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS."

Balm in Gilead is a New York-based organization doing work similar to that of Black CAP. Also, both groups are working with churches that serve black congregations to provide training and assistance for HIV/AIDS programs.

On June 19, at 6 p.m., the United Caribbean AIDS Education Network (UCAN) is holding a forum, at the East York Civic Centre, to look at the spread of HIV/AIDS in Canada, the Caribbean and Africa.

UCAN was created by a group of local religious leaders, with support from Black CAP, Health Canada, the City of Toronto and the Aids Coalition of Toronto.

At the 13th International AIDS conference in South Africa last year Nkosi asked us not to shun people with the disease.

"We are all human beings," he said. "We have hands. We have feet. We can walk. We can talk. We have needs just like everyone else. Don't be afraid of us. We are the same."

Nkosi's biological mother died of AIDS in 1997. His foster mother, Gail Johnson, touched by the outpouring of emotion, calls him a "very special boy."

I have friends who have died from AIDS. They too were special. I wish I could have done more to help them, especially during their last days.

However, their ordeals have made me more conscious of AIDS, and strengthened my resolve to be supportive of the efforts to beat the epidemic.

Direct site comments or questions to CID's Webmaster.
Copyright ©2001 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College.
Last revised 4/2/2001