HIV/AIDS and the lasting effects of Apartheid
By Daphnie
It was recently announced that a second person has been “cured” of HIV. This is especially promising news as our class heads to South Africa, the country with the largest population of those living with HIV/AIDS. But doctors warn that this procedure of stem cell transfers is prohibitively expensive and dangerous. What, if anything, does this advancement mean for the citizens of South Africa affected by HIV/AIDS?
While on the trip we will be visiting the World Health Organization and Wits RHI, both leading health organizations that have advanced the field of HIV/AIDS research and treatment. I’m looking forward to hearing from their experts on what the next frontier of HIV/AIDS treatment will look like and if it includes this most recent “cure.”
Beyond the potential for a cure, it’s important to consider the socioeconomic issues that have led to such a large prevelance of HIV/AIDS. That this disease largely affects only the black population of South Africa speaks to the lasting affects of apartheid.
Poverty, lack of education, and high unemployment likely contribute to the conditions that have led to this epidemic in South Africa. It will be interesting to see this level of inequality and how it compares to that of the US.