Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
|
|
Associated Press - Sunday, December 1, 2002
Leon Drouin Keith, Associated Press Writer
In New York City on Sunday, the HIV + Sinikithemba Choir, composed of HIV-positive South Africans, raised their voices in Zulu and English song on a Harlem church altar.
"To have AIDS is a stigma and we are trying to help people share the information and to accept their illness," said choir member Ntombi Mbuthu, 39, a mother of three children, all of whom have tested negative for the disease. Mbuthu, who gets medicine through her work as a clinic counselor, is the only one of the 21 traveling choir members who is undergoing treatment for HIV. The others are too poor.
"Most South Africans don't get tested because they know there's no cure, and they cannot get the drug treatment because it's too expensive," said Mimi Badumuti, 32, who supports herself doing beadwork after losing her job as a corporate receptionist.
Former President Clinton, in an opinion column published Sunday in The New York Times, urged governments to do more to bring treatment to the developing world, where millions of people suffer because they lack access to AIDS drugs.
"Given that medicine can turn AIDS from a death sentence into a chronic illness and reduce mother-to-child transmission, our withholding of treatment will appear to future historians as medieval, like bloodletting," Clinton wrote.
In Lincoln, Neb., Irish rocker Bono kicked off a tour on World AIDS Day, but the lead singer of U2 wasn't crooning. He and actress Ashley Judd were among those speaking to about 2,300 people about the AIDS crisis in Africa.
"It's not about charity. It's about justice and equality," Bono said at the event, his first stop in a seven-day, seven-city tour for an organization called Debt, Aid, Trade for Africa.
In San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, about 250 people, many wearing red ribbons and some carrying flowers, gathered at the National AIDS Memorial Grove to remember those who have died from the disease and hear messages of hope for a cure.
"I came today to remember," said Hank Donat, a 36-year-old San Francisco writer. "The gay community in San Francisco was devastated in the early years. We'll never be able to know the full breadth of the loss to our culture. But we feel it, we measure it with our hearts."
President Bush, in his World AIDS Day proclamation, praised groups that are working to combat AIDS and help the people who suffer from it, and noted that his administration is seeking increases in spending for domestic and international AIDS programs.
"By working together, we can provide hope and comfort to all those affected by this devastating disease," Bush said.
About 1 million Americans are infected with HIV, which causes AIDS. Worldwide, there are 42 million HIV positive people, with sub-Saharan Africa home to 75 percent of them, according to UNAIDS, the U.N.'s AIDS agency.
021201
AP021202
Copyright © 2002 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2002. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2002. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .