United Press International - Monday, 3 September 2001
Jennifer Pribble

The Chilean government has not had a far-reaching information campaign addressing human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome since 1997. While health authorities recognize the need for action, the recent devaluation of the peso seems to have placed additional pressure on the already tight health budget.

"The lack of HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns is costing many Chileans their lives," said Rodrigo Pascal, president of the AIDS support, lobbying and education. "When you bombard people with information, you have an immediate effect."

At the U.N. Special Assembly on HIV/AIDS in June, Minister of Health Michelle Bachelet pledged that the state would enact such a campaign within the year. The plans, however, are stalled because of a lack of resources. The growth in the value of the U.S. dollar has had a negative impact on the purchasing power of hospitals, which must buy most supplies from outside the country.

Additionally, extreme weather conditions this winter and an unexpected explosion in respiratory infections have crippled the Chilean health care system and placed an extra burden on meager resources. These two elements amount to a $900,000 budget deficit for hospital supply spending, roughly the amount allocated for the HIV/AIDS prevention campaign. Still, Bachelet has not abandoned the cause. She said plans continue for development of a communication campaign that targets high-risk groups. "We are working to raise public and private funds to carry out the project," she said.

Attempts at involving the private sector include requesting free airtime on national television for public service announcements and soliciting financial contributions from private medical insurance companies. Bachelet said some insurance companies have expressed interest in contributing to the campaign.

While there are 8,000 reported cases of AIDS in the country, government officials estimate more than 30,000 Chileans are infected with HIV. The Ministry of Health estimates by 2005 some 5,000 Chileans will die of AIDS annually and by 2010 it will be the leading cause of death. It already is the second leading cause of death for men ages of 20 and 44 in Santiago. The National Women's Service and the National Institute for Statistics said the number of Chilean women living with AIDS in 2000 was 13 times higher than in 1990 and among men, AIDS cases increased 1.5 times in the same period.

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