World AIDS Day

Although many have grown complacent thinking that AIDS is yesteryear’s
concern, the statistics don’t agree.  And
while your reflexive rebuttal might be “Well at least it isn’t getting worse”, the
numbers once again would contradict you. 
Hence taking a moment today, World AIDS Day, to reflect on the situation
isn’t a bad idea.

The truth is that as of 2006 39.5 million people worldwide were living
with HIV/AIDS.  Putting that in
perspective it’s a number roughly equal to the entire Spanish population.  In spite of educational campaigns, the numbers
continue to grow.  Sadly, some feel that
the HIV/AIDS movement has become a victim of its own success.  Promising new treatments make people feel less
threatened and omnipresent information causes people to switch off and ignore
the facts.  For these reasons, ignorance
still prevails.  The perception that AIDS
is only a gay disease, an African phenomenon or an intravenous drug user’s problem
all contribute to a slackening of safety measures.   As a consequence, the rate of infection is
growing and spreading to new populations.

Here in Spain,
according to a new Health Ministry report, 50 percent of the new cases are
heterosexual, 30 percent are homosexual and 20 percent are intravenous drug
users – an exact inversion of the numbers typically expected.  

 In response to the situation, the Spanish Health Ministry will launch a
new plan starting in 2008.  The emphasis
of the plan will, of course, be preventing new infections especially targeting
male homosexuals, young people, women prostitutes, and immigrants.

 The new plan will run for four years, but much of its success will
depend on Spain
establishing a national database that tracks the disease.