The Lest Among Us Suffer

AIDS is not a sexy enough subject to play on prime time television news, even though it's the number one killer of the most vulnerable people on earth, our children. There were 2-million children living with AIDS in 2007, and 2.7-million more children died from the disease last year. That news should shock each and every one of us that our children suffer. There are many reasons for this calamity and there is much to blame about behavior, lack of policy, education, economics and equal rights for women. Our children still suffer. In fact, in its 2008 report on the global AIDS epidemic, UNAIDS called on Governments to swiftly increase women's economic independence and legal reforms as a strategy to help cut the spread of the disease...of course this should be done regardless...but, the compelling thinking now...women are far to often the subject of abusive behavior and are rendered defenseless because of their perceived status, and rigorously enforced government policy can go a long way in changing outcomes...a woman's right to inheritance was also listed for change. Is it clear to you, children suffer? Education is another plank in the defense protocol in the fight against AIDS that all of us need not grow tired of hearing. In this arduous process, the airwaves provide the greatest reach, also schools, libraries, newspapers, the Internet, agencies, enlightened ministries, private foundations, world citizens and those who speak with first hand knowledge of the disease and are willing to tell their impact stories. Our children need not suffer anymore. And, then our scientists must do their part. They need to be funded and they need to come up with a cure...know that setbacks will occur in this process, but for the children and for all of us, scientists should be encouraged, not penalized when a seeming breakthrough goes bust. This fight is way to important for our children and our future. This week the issue of which path to take in the fight againt AIDS will be taken up, whether to take the path of prevention or the path of cure. We should follow both paths as if we were fighting a two front war; with only victory in mind. This is the right fight. "The AIDS virus infects an estimated 33 million people globally and has killed 25 million since it was identified in the 1980s. NewsJReview at www.Juliussuber.com/blog