UGANDA: EDUCATION PROGRAMMES LEAD TO DROP IN AIDS INFECTION скачать в хорошем качестве

UGANDA: EDUCATION PROGRAMMES LEAD TO DROP IN AIDS INFECTION

(1 Sep 1997) English/Nat According to the World Health Organization, about 13 million people around the globe have become infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, H-I-V, that leads to AIDS. More than half of these infections occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Health ministers from 46 countries are due to meet in South Africa this week to discuss the continent's problems with AIDS, malaria and other diseases. It's not all bad news in Africa, though. Public education programmes have led one African country to significantly reduce the rate of H-I-V infection. APTV reports from Uganda where H-I-V infection among young people has dropped from 20 to under nine percent in the past five years. In the Ugandan capitol of Kampala, many people live in slums like this one in the Malago area. Here poverty is widespread, as is AIDS. AIDS however, is a disease no longer confined to the slums, and Uganda now has between 1.5 and 1.7 (m) million people with the H-I-V virus which causes AIDS. But due to widespread education programmes, the rates of infection have dropped from 20 to nine per cent among the 18-to-28 age group - the sector of people most at risk. Groups like TASO, Taskforce for AIDS and Social work Organisation, have mounted aggressive education campaigns. They also offer counselling to those infected. Women are especially targeted because they raise the children in a community, and in Africa AIDS is almost exclusively transmitted by heterosexual sex. Accurate records and statistics are kept to enable the government to assess the exact nature of the problem. Public information is explicit to help remove the shame and secrecy from the disease. Rose Byarulanga has been counselling for over 10 years and has seen big changes in the way AIDS is perceived. SOUNDBITE: (English) \"They have embarked on safer sex, and they are aware. Because in the 80s these testing centres were not available, and information was not available. We were thinking that maybe HIV was meant for these harlots, not for young ones or established person. But now people are aware that anybody can get HIV.\" SUPER CAPTION: Rose Byarulanga, Head of Counselling Dpt., Joint Clinical Research Centre AIDS research is well funded in Uganda. Centres like the Joint Clinical Research exchange ideas and staff with organizations from around the world. Director Peter Mugyenyi, however warns against over-optimism and complacency. SOUNDBITE: (English) \"It is a well known fact that the Ugandan population are probably Africa's most informed population about AIDS. But at the same time, if we keep giving them the same message without finding out special problems that continue to make new cases come about - because they are still coming about - we will lose out, so we have to perpetually seek new ways of preventing AIDS.\" SUPER CAPTION: Dr. Peter N. Mugyenyi, Director, Joint Clinical Research Centre Staff in well-equipped laboratories are working hard to better understand the nature of this disease. Research into H-I-V resistance has attracted American and European students. Uganda and Kenya are leading the field in studying cases of H-I-V-resistant prostitutes. Time is the biggest enemy to research as new undetected H-I-V infections crop up every day. One of the saddest aspects of the disease are the babies who are born with H-I-V after being infected in the womb. The rate of infection may be declining in Uganda, but there is no room for complacency. Until a treatment or vaccine is discovered, Ugandans will continue to lose entire families to AIDS. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...