Forming Public Policy on Aids Epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa

Jarrod Stafford

Government 9 A.M.

Forming Public Policy on AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa

Strengths of Current Policy

* 15 billion dollars of aid over 5 years

* Bring African AIDS epidemic to forefront

* Dispersing resources quickly

* Using new approaches and leadership model

* Employing evidence-based decisions

* Demanding accountability for results Weaknesses of Current Policy

* Not attacking root causes of problem

* Waited many years to act effectively

Opportunities

* Drug testing

* Drug market

* Showing long term good will around world

* Increase influence in government and economy.

* Case study for HIV/AIDS Threats

* Increase spread of HIV/AIDS throughout world

* Compound economic and societal problems such as starvation, lack of education, and poverty

* Reduce the ability of the government to handle the rising social structure dilemmas and healthcare costs

* Exacerbate regional and ethnic tensions

* Further strain on economy

* Discourage foreign investment and tourism

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a horrific plight affecting every country in the world. HIV stands for 'human immunodeficiency virus'. HIV is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system and destroys or impairs their function. AIDS stands for 'acquired immunodeficiency syndrome' and describes the collection of symptoms and infections associated with acquired deficiency of the immune system. At the end of 2004, 39.4 million people worldwide were estimated to be infected . No other area has been hit harder than the Sub-Sahara Africa region. Sub-Saharan Africa has just over 10% of the world's population, but is home to more than 60% of all people living with HIV--some 25.4 million . Africa's AIDS challenge is a multifaceted problem which requires a unique, flexible, and multipronged approach. Education, prevention, and treatment are a necessary start but the United States must look deeper in order to effectively and properly help the communities of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Current US policy under President George W. Bush is a massive change to previous policy. It commits 15 billion dollars of aid over a five year period. It is supposed to get resources to the frontlines of this battle quite quickly, use new approaches and a new leadership model. It is described to employ evidence-based decisions and demand accountability for results as well. The world must pray that the enemy has not grown too efficient in the 14 years since it has been identified. It does lack a focus on key issues that are at the root of the problem. AIDS, as are many diseases, is spread rapidly in areas of poverty.

There are many threats and even a few opportunities relating to HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. Left unchecked this situation would most definitely spill over and increase the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS through out the world. This could come from people that were not informed, treated, or prevented from getting the disease. HIV/AIDS will also compound already debilitating economic and societal problems such as starvation, poverty and lack of education and reduce the government's ability to handle the rising social structures dilemmas. The more people die the more families lose a contributor to family economic preservation, the less teachers there are to teach children, and the larger the strain on the strained health system. All this further strains the economy, scares away tourist, and discourages foreign investment. There are a few possible opportunities in this quandary. This area can be used as a place to study HIV/Aids and test potentially life saving drugs. For selfish US reasons helping in Africa can increase influence in African government and economy as well as show long term goodwill around the world. For our business sector it can open a large untapped market for drugs.

Locally several factors impact the security, economy, and humanitarian efforts. Wherever in the world there is a large part of a society that is downtrodden, sick, and/or has nothing to live for crime is rampant. Couple this with the fact of shrinking numbers in the police and military from AIDS deaths, the issue of civil disorder through out Sub-Saharan Africa is a critical issue that the region must deal with immediately. The economy of this area has been ravished for decades but the AIDS problem is compounding it exponentially. Individual families, small communities, and the area as a whole has lost millions of able body workers that have held the economic burden. Lose of labor and businesses further minimalize the likelihood of foreign investment or tourism which would be essential for an economic rebound. Sub-Saharan Africa has long suffered a humanitarian plight, but the current epidemic has magnified this problem. Families that have lost primary supporters and orphans and will continue the increasing snowball effect. There are hints of opportunity for this area among these horrible situations. For instance since the drug companies will be likely testing new drugs in the area, local governments should take this as an opportunity to charge some small fee for the testing and invest this money back

Local Critical Impact Local Vital Impact Local Opportunistic Impact

Security * Increased civil disorder * Loss of security personnel * Increase US influence in government

Economic * Strain on economy

* Discourage foreign investment and tourism * 15 billion in aid over 5 years from US

* Lack of focus on education

* Not attacking root causes * Drug testing

* Increase US influence in economy

Humanitarian * Increase starvation problem

* 15 billion in aid over 5 years from US * Increased lack of education and poverty.

* Lack