Kalichman: Denying AIDS and other oddities

This is just a blurb for a fascinating book by UConn's Seth Kalichman, entitled Denying AIDS, which takes on the proponents of AIDS pseudoscience, the politics of denialism, and conspiracy theories advanced by mediocre journalism, to put it kindly. 

Best of all, royalties from the book will be used to purchase antiretrovirals through the Family Treatment Fund for people living with HIV in Africa. 

Follow Kalichman's blog for updates on the book, and other case examples of AIDS denialism as they appear in pop culture, the media, and politics. 

UNICEF - Children and HIV and AIDS - Allies Against AIDS: gender inequality

A recent UNICEF podcast highlights the critical role of men and adolescent boys in curbing new HIV infections among women. Recall that for millions of women, their single greatest risk factor for HIV infection is being married to or in a stable relationship with a man.

In discussing HIV/AIDS prevention programming, founder and former Executive Director of the AIDS Support Organization in Uganda, Noerine Kaleeba, states that "We are beginning to realize that in our effort to focus on women and girls, we kind of took our eyes off the boys and men.”

Thankfully, some are attempting to do precisely this. A new campaign, Brothers for Life, has just begun in South Africa that seeks to address these issues by redefining social and community norms using a peer-opinion leader model that encourages men to assume key roles in averting new HIV infections, protecting community health, and promoting gender equality: 

“We want to break the silence, and mobilise men around the real values that define being a man in South Africa,” says Mandla Ndlovu, from Johns Hopkins Health and Education SA (JHHESA), one of the campaign partners.

The campaign organizers are mindful of the need to empower men to take responsibility for their own and others' health in a ways that often go under addressed:  

“Although much good work has been done to engage men in efforts to reduce gender inequality, most programs have been small in scale and had limited sustainability,” says JHHESA’s Mandla Ndlovu Mandla Ndlovu.“ If South Africa wants to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and enhance the physical and psychological health of all its people, it is time to bring men on board.” 

For more on this innovative campaign, see Looking for Brothers for Life, or view its inspiring promotional video: 

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Economist: Africa's demographic dividend

Last week, the Economist examined a key transition underway in Africa, one that positions the continent to capitalize on a “demographic dividend” of lengthening lifespans, smaller family sizes, and greater economic opportunities as it races headfirst toward urbanization.

Like other regions, many African cities are growing richer, moving from high to low fertility, and increasing the size of their working-age population. As a result,

“a fast-growing, economically active population provides the initial impetus to industrial production; then a supply of new workers coming from villages can, if handled properly, enable a country to become more productive. China and East Asia are the models. On some calculations, demography accounted for about a third of East Asia’s phenomenal growth over the past 30 years.”

The Economist points out that the continent’s struggle to provide for its people, political violence, and the adverse impact of disease and other threats to families distinguish its development from some Asia and Latin American societies. 

And although the Economist may need a refresher on the risks facing large Asian population centers after their booming, urbanized economies have turned, it describes accurately the potentially transformative role that innovation and technology can play in averting or managing the threats to development: 

“Africa needs a green revolution; more efficient cities; more female education; honest governments; better economic policies. Without those things, Africa will not reap its demographic dividend. But without the transition that Africa has started upon, the continent’s chances of achieving those good things would be even lower than they are.”

For more, see The baby bonanza.