Some of you may be feeling rather remote from this HIV discussion.
We need your help!  Studies show that over 90% of all HIV infections
occur in developing countries.  Sub-Saharan Africa has over 60% (14
million people) of the world total of people who are HIV+.  South
Africa, with 2,2 million HIV+ people, is seen to have an explosive
epidemic.  According to Peter Busse of the Community AIDS Centre in
Johannesburg, 90% of all research is conducted in the developed
world.  The developing world only has 8% of global funding, with
sub-Saharan Africa receiving only 3%.  Funding seems to be going
mostly towards expensive drug treatments which are not available as
an intervention for the majority of people living with HIV.

We need money to be channelled towards developing cost-effective
prevention and treatment which may actually start making a difference
to the rates of transmission and progression of the disease in
developing countries.  As Marsha Walker and Naomi Baumslag suggest,
money and effort need to go into exploring the cost-effectiveness of
alternatives:-   expressed pasteurized breastmilk, screened wet
nurses, milk banks (I think these have all closed down, so it would
be starting from scratch), and other more affordable breastmilk
substitutes other than formula will have to be developed and made
available.

You (those of you in developed countries because that's where the
money needs to come from) could please stamp your feet, shout and
scream and perhaps more usefully, employ your letter-writing skills
and create greater awareness.  It's up to us, here, to get down
and do the research and work.  Thank you, Lynn.
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Lynn Moony
Johannesburg, South Africa
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