AIDS Pandemic A Brief Introduction to a Global Health Crisis

Global Update

“In terms of the numbers of live that are lost, in terms of the countries that are actually destabilized by this public health crisis, and the economies that are undermined by the damage of this pandemic… it’s simply a far greater threat [than any we have known] … and it knows no borders.”

Global Stats 15K new infections / day 25 M dead as of M living with HIV/AIDS 70% of cases in Africa

Treatment Gap Lack access: > 95 % worldwide > 99% in developing world

Concentration in Communities - Growth among women - Concentration among minorities - Concentration in the developing world Ties to human rights violations…

History

Before The Name: We do not know how many people developed AIDS in the 1970s, or indeed in the years before. "The dominant feature of this first period was silence, for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was unknown and transmission was not accompanied by signs or symptoms salient enough to be noticed. While rare, sporadic case reports of AIDS and sero-archaeological studies have documented human infections with HIV prior to 1970, available data suggest that the current pandemic started in the mid-to late 1970s. By 1980, HIV had spread to at least five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Australia). During this period of silence, spread was unchecked by awareness or any preventive action and approximately 100, ,000 persons may have been infected.“ Jonathan Mann

Growing Anxiety (circa ): the early patients * homosexual transmission – mobilization * immigrants, drug users, poor people – under the watchful eye of health policing authorities the “good victims” * transfusion recipients * heterosexual transmission " When it began turning up in children and transfusion recipients, that was a turning point in terms of public perception. Up until then it was entirely a gay epidemic, and it was easy for the average person to say 'So what?' Now everyone could relate.". Harold Jaffe of the CDC for Newsweek

Timeline Post-Naming 1982 – First use of term “AIDS” 1983 – Virus isolated and identified Early to mid 80s – First wave of activism: community based groups securing visibility – HIV Ab testing available Mid-80s – Border control regulations in more than 50 countries 1987 – First FDA approved drug, AZT. Also, birth of ACT UP and transition to activism focused on treatment. Late 80s – WHO produces “world mapping”

Recognizing “New Frontiers” 1990 – Eastern Europe described as the new frontier of the AIDS epidemic; Signs of infection in China (in fact starting early to mid 80s) Always “the other” 'AIDS and drug addiction are still seen as consequences of contact with the West, AIDS being known as aizibing, the "loving capitalism disease".' -The Guardian 1993 – concern about underreporting China, mostly reporting IV drug users ability to prevent MTCT found 1996 – China’s reported cases: 2/3 in southern province connected to drug use

One Approach to Thinking About AIDS: The Human Rights Paradigm

Human Rights (Violations) as Reality CYCLES OF VULNERABILITY? HR violations  breeding grounds for HIV/AIDS spread (powerless groups most impacted)  breeding HR violations In what circumstances is talking about “at risk groups” helpful? harmful? CYCLES OF BENEFIT? Positive impact of AIDS activism on various areas: - women’s rights (inheritance, sexual violence, child marriage) - sexuality and sexual rights (sodomy code in India) - drug use (needle exchange, drug treatment) Human Rights as Movement / Paradigm Types of rights: social/economic/cultural; political/civil Implication of variety of rights (Right to life, health, information, etc.) Use of “rights” language and tools International v. Domestic