AIDS

[K.I.L.E.R]

It was on the news 5 seconds ago. No links unfortunately.
News comes on before Star Trek Deep Space 9.

What the vaccine does it boosts your cells to be able to kill the "AIDS virus" (I thought HIV was a virus and AIDS is just a biproduct of the virus?).

Anyway, what do you guys think?

 

[Moffell]

Scince fiction news? I dunno, here's hoping.

 

[Deepak]

I dont know why we are focussing so much on AIDS.....more people die due to diseases like Malaria/TB.....

 

[horvendile]

more people die due to diseases like Malaria/TB.....

True, but there are countries in Africa where more than 30% of the population are HIV infected, and even if Malaria lead the kill count league AIDS is a major disaster for many countries.

That said, I have indeed heard reports that malaria research is shamefully neglected.

 

[Deepak]

more people die due to diseases like Malaria/TB.....

True, but there are countries in Africa where more than 30% of the population are HIV infected, and even if Malaria lead the kill count league AIDS is a major disaster for many countries.

That said, I have indeed heard reports that malaria research is shamefully neglected.

But Malaria has been curable since ages! Still thousands die each year! AIDS is taking too much attention in Countries like India....result Malaria/TB/Malnutrition etc are being neglected....AIDS does not deserve the attention everyone is giving!!

 

[Vince]

I'm also not going to carry Malaria for 15 years without knowledge of it; all the while infecting people by the biological function that's so deeply hard-wired into a humans anatomy it's reality is inevitable.

 

[Deepak]

But the bottomline is MORE poeple die due to Malaria etc and MANY MORE will die in future also....does a person a life become more precious becse he/she is infected with AIDS??

 

[Vince]

Malaria is easily containable using conventional methods, HIV is not. End of story.

HIV is infinatly scarier than Malaria; any organism with a mortality ratre approaching 100% that can exist for over a decade within a human host before any visable signs are seen needs to be delt with utilizing the most resource possible.

The mortality rate of Malaria is ~19%, it's easily diagnosed and with adequate healthcare the absolute number of cases would scale down to those seen in 1st world countries (statistsically insignificant).

Now try to scale HIV down....

 

[Deepak]

Thats is exactly my point....diseases like Malaria are curable, still thousands die each year.....shouldnt we try eradicate those diseases first which can be eradicated with some sustained efforts...! Shouldnt we try and save these lives!

 

[Mariner]

Actually, Malaria is treatable, but not curable. Once you've got it it's there for life. There are some (pretty nasty) drugs available which reduce the chances of catching Malaria but these don't ensure immunity.

This is why everyone is so keen on developing both a vaccine and cure for Malaria.

 

[K.I.L.E.R]

Malaria is a blood disease that does...?

 

[epicstruggle]

My way of curtailing aids is kinda weird but i think it would work for most countries/peoples. I think every person should be tested (and retested every so many years) those who have aids then should have a small tattoo place near their privates. This would insure that they did not lie to their partner about their status. Also i would make it a murder crime to intentionally transmit HIV/AIDs even thought the victim would not die for many years.

Just my thoughts. I think people who have this terrible disease need to be more responsible so as not to spread it. Just my 2 cents. Hope I havent offended anyone.

later,

 

[Mariner]

The problem here is that in parts of Africa, where the disease is rife, there is a great deal of ignorance and superstition about the disease.

The South African president, Thabo Mbeki, has even gone as far as suggesting that the development of AIDs is not related to HIV! A recent documentary on the radio reported that in some parts of Africa, there is the belief that having unprotected sex with a virgin will cure AIDs leading to many poor young girls becoming raped and infected.

Another TV documentary I saw was filmed at a South African diamond mine. The employers had provided free condoms to the workers but many of the workers actually paid extra to have unprotected sex with the local prostitutes. As these were mainly migrant workers, they then travel home and infect their wives and ultimately their newborn children.

If this kind of thing happens when they have been told about the risks, a tattoo is going to make little difference. I realise that these are the worst-case scenarios but what else can be done?

 

[horvendile]

As for malaria, I have been given to understand that there are many different types of malaria with wildly diverging death rates.
I too thought that malaria was not curable, but then I was told by someone who knows more than I about this (partly from first hand experience) that some types can indeed be cured.

But if we suppose that malaria is curable or at least treatable, it seems like putting malaria against AIDS is unnecessary. I think it is unlikely that the money put into AIDS research are taken from the same budget as malaria fighting.

 

[Saem]

People should think of AIDS kill rate in terms of the bigger picture. Yes other diseases kill more NOW! But the rate at which AIDS is spreading is rising and IIRC is projected to over take everything else.

 

[OpenGL guy]

Malaria is a blood disease that does...?

Malaria is a parasite. You can read about quinine (an ingredient in tonic water that is a treatment for malaria) at http://sres.anu.edu.au/associated/fpt/nwfp/quinine/Quinine.html.

 

[K.I.L.E.R]

Malaria is a blood disease that does...?

Malaria is a parasite. You can read about quinine (an ingredient in tonic water that is a treatment for malaria) at http://sres.anu.edu.au/associated/fpt/nwfp/quinine/Quinine.html.

Ahh thanks. You mean it's like a real world trojan that executes bad commands and illegal operations in your body?

 

[Deepak]

Malaria is a blood disease that does...?

Malaria is a parasite. You can read about quinine (an ingredient in tonic water that is a treatment for malaria) at http://sres.anu.edu.au/associated/fpt/nwfp/quinine/Quinine.html.

From your link....

"Worldwide, over 200 million people are infected with malaria, and at least one million die from the disease each year".....

If we re-prioritize our aims, we can save these millions.....AIDS research can continue in the mean time....

"Malaria however, is only transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. (The male mosquito feeds on nectar and plant juices and is not involved in the transmission of malaria.)"

Only female Anopheles mosquitos survive on Human blood....I See....there are less mosquitos around women...

 

[Silent_One]

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria
http://www.globalfundatm.org/

HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria
are the world's great killers. In 2002...
-3.1 million people died of AIDS.
-Tuberculosis accounted for 2 million deaths.
-Malaria killed more than 1 million people, mostly children in Africa.

Where is Global Fund money going?
http://www.globalfundatm.org/piecharts.html
100%=US$1.5 billion over two years
HIV/AIDS = 65%
Malaria = 17%
Tuberculosis = 14%
HIV/TB = 3%
All = 1%

 

[Vince]

If we re-prioritize our aims, we can save these millions.....AIDS research can continue in the mean time....

Saem was correct IMHO. Your like the people who after a 500mile wide astroid was discovered heading towards the earth which it will impact at some undefined point in the future, decide to spend money on preventing death via bee-stings en masse. Because, as of this very point - more people die per year due to bee stings than astroids. Although to anyone with common sence - this may not allways be the case [undestatement].