HIV/AIDS Epidemic Issues and Concerns

Increasing concern: AIDS/HIV 1972-2008 AD

My first encounter with an AIDS patient was in the year 1972, when I was in charge of a forty-seven bed pediatric unit, in a relatively new hospital wing. I listened silently, as several doctors discussed the nature of the illness of a young, male child. He was not expected to live long, because none of the medical treatments that they had prescribed for him seemed to be effective.

In fact, the child was becoming worse day by day. No one seemed to know the actual cause of his illness and it appeared that no one knew how to treat him effectively. What the doctors did know was that the child's immune system was not responding to the medications that they had given him. They had made various attempts to seek advice from other, well known physicians, but nothing that they had recommended seemed to be working.

I was stunned, as I began to realize the serious nature of what the doctors where stating, with such hushed voices.

Not long after that, I became aware that more children were coming into the hospital diagnosed with auto-

immune deficiency, as well.

My next encounter with AIDS, was approximately ten years later, when I attended as series of seminars in Florida. By then, it was becoming known by doctors all around the world, that AIDS was becoming more and more of a global concern. There was still no treatment for the illness. The doctors who attended these seminars came from the east and west, north and south. All of them agreed on the fact that the causes of AIDS were becoming increasingly apparent, but nothing was definite yet, in terms of treatment or a cure.

What was causing HIV/AIDS?

First, there was the transfusion factor. The second factor was the reality that  doctors from all over the world, were over-prescribing medication. The third factor involved sexual activity, without proper protection.

All three of these causes appeared to be contributing to the spread of the illness known as AIDS. They had one thing in common and that was the reality that they were causing the immune system of the human body to shut down. When the immune system does not respond, AIDS was going to be the inevitable result.

I was stunned, alarmed and concerned because people everywhere were told that there was no cause for alarm. Supposedly, AIDS was not contagious, or spread by kissing, hand contact, sneezing or coughing. People where being advised to live their lives as they normally would and not to be concerned about the possibility of a global epidemic or pandemic.

Finding some way to trigger the immune system to respond, became one focus of the seminars. How could this be treated?

One of the classic examples of an immune system response was what happened when cowpox was used in the immunization for smallpox. The human body's immune system would respond in a positive way, when a person was vaccinated with cowpox vaccine. This would give the person protection from smallpox. 

Everyone felt that there had to be other ways that the immune system could be triggered to respond to the AIDS virus.

Now, in the year 2008, it has become increasingly apparent that the AIDS virus is not one that has been contained.

We have watched scenarios where there are hundreds of babies born to deceased parents who died of AIDS, even in North America. In Africa alone, there are more cases of AIDS than anyone can count. These are estimated to be in the millions. Every country in the world has been affected to some degree.

It is not as if the population of the world is unaware of the illness, or as if attempts have not been made on a global level, to contain the AIDS virus. Increasing numbers of benefits are held annually to try to raise research money for this cause. There are some treatments which appear to be working, at least to some extent.

The question remains, "Has the answer been found?"

To this timely question, one must reply, "Not yet, even though it appears that there are major advances have been made in terms of medical research."

Is there another answer?

I Heard A Sigh

I heard a sigh upon the wind,
"Yes, God is good, but man has sinned."

"Forgive all man," was my reply
And then I heard another sigh.

"Cry out for children everywhere,
Those lost, alone, in deep despair."

The wind, it sighed; it knew I heard,
As if delivered was the word.

Another wind, another day,
The sigh for children seems to stay.

The sigh for love upon the wind;
The sigh to say, "All man has sinned."

The sigh to plead but for God's grace,
In ev'ry era, time and place;

The sigh for children, young and old.
Those hurt and hungry, in the cold.
The sigh for peace and end to war;
The sigh goes on forever more.

The sighing wind will come and go
Lest we forget our love to show.