Humanity is no stranger to global catastrophes. We've faced outbreaks of plague, influenza, and cholera and lost millions to natural and manmade disasters. What then, merits the special status that HIV/AIDS has been accorded? Besides, as some experts in the West increasingly argue, with the increased availability of antiretroviral drugs, there is no reason why it should be anything more than a chronic disease if patients follow their multidrug regimen. Future historians may well agree with this premise, but it would be purblind to subscribe to this view now.
In the 25 years that HIV has been with us, the disease has brought out the best and the worst of people. Early outbursts of xenophobia and bigotry were strong, and many areas still have hostile attitudes to infected patients, particularly in places with a high burden of the disease. Such attitudes haven't died down, even among the medical community. The lack of political will and a conspiracy of silence in the early days required relentless campaigning from AIDS activists to bring the issue to light—all because the disease is intimately connected with human sexuality, which, thanks no doubt to religious belief, still remains a taboo in most parts of the world. Homosexual men, in particular, became the target of systematic and often brutal persecution.
Now that the disease has spread to every country and is wiping out millions in Africa and South Asia alone, the failure to address women's rights, sexual and domestic abuse, poverty, homophobia, and corruption has been brought into sharper focus. That these issues require a global pandemic to be given due consideration defines the fragmented nature of human society.
Yet it also gave an incentive for several positive things to emerge. It reaffirmed the power of science over religion, of reason over blind faith—sustained research paved the way for researchers to work out how the virus worked inside the human body, and eventually to attack it using antiretroviral drugs. The victims and their supporters fought back—often verbally, and sometimes through powerful works of art. A platform for expression, it thus became a source of inspiration for many who wanted to make a difference.
The incidence of HIV may have peaked, as some reports suggest. But the costs are still too heavy, particularly on the developing world. Fortunately, there is no donor fatigue. The stars of philanthropy have never shone brighter, and none more so than Bill Gates. Research into every aspect, from treatment to the development of a vaccine, is deservedly increasing. Key collaborations, such as the UNAIDS and Global Fund, and programmes initiated by a host of other organisations are delivering drugs to even the most difficult parts of Africa.
The cause for optimism notwithstanding, HIV is still a special case. Scientific understanding and the medical view haven't been enough for many to draw a distinct line between myth and reality. Some Africans, for example, still believe that raping a virgin can cure them of HIV/AIDS. HIV largely remains a social disease when, in fact, it need (and should) not be. Also, access to drugs is not uniform, and many fail to receive adequate treatment for no fault of their own.
If we are to achieve the dream of not “celebrating” the 50th anniversary, we need to act fast. Firstly, we must understand that AIDS is a medical condition. It must be stripped of its social, moral and religious intimacy if we are to prevent and treat it properly. Secondly, equal attention must be paid to both prevention and treatment, not just to curb the further spread of the disease but also to emphasise that having HIV does not equal a death sentence—at least not any more. And finally, scientific inquiry into all aspects of the disease should never be ignored in the light of its humanitarian affiliations, on which, partly owing to political and celebrity campaigns, an unduly large emphasis is being placed. It is science that discovered the virus behind the pandemic, science that attempts to prevent and treat it, and only science that will, one day, put a complete end to it.
We must understand that AIDS is a medical condition. It must be stripped of its social, moral, and religious intimacy if we are to prevent and treat it properly.