HIV/AIDS Day...

was yesterday. I'm being conscious a day late. I was disappointed to see that this very serious international health crisis didn't get much play in yesterday's news. The articles that I found focused on the growing population of Californians living with HIV/AIDS. As it turns out, much of this growth is attributable to new drugs that improve and prolong the lives of POS Californians.

That's good news for us, but the story isn't as promising for people living with HIV/AIDS in the rest of the world. This week, the Center for Health and Gender Equality (CHANGE) accused the Bush administration of actively undermining HIV prevention in Africa. The Bush Administration has already given Uganda 8 million dollars to implement the President's Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS relief (PEPFAR), which advocates 'abstinence and faithfulness' as the ONLY methods of prevention. Condom promotion and distribution--the most effective method of fighting the spread--has dropped as desperate Ugandan health agencies have accepted PEPFAR funding.

Check out the website and the press release. I know a lot of people prefer to ignore Africa, but the Bush Administration's attitude about HIV/AIDS prevention doesn't end with AIDS and it doesn't end in Africa. This is just one more demonstration of the administration's willingness to enforce their own thoughtless agenda the cost of human life.