The high price of ignorance: AIDS rate in Washington DC rivals some African nations
Filed under: Economy, Healthcare
According to DC health care officials, the AIDS rate in the nation's capital is currently just under three percent, with at least 15,000 people suffering from the disease. While not on a par with the Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Tanzania, Washington far exceeds the AIDS rate of Nigeria, Gambia, Ghana and nine other African nations. Moreover, it is almost triple the worldwide AIDS rate, and approaches the four percent AIDS rate of San Francisco in the early 1990's. Among minorities, the numbers are even more disturbing, with four percent of African Americans and two percent of Hispanics in DC currently suffering from the disease. Another interesting statistic is age-based: almost 10 percent of people between 40 and 49 are HIV positive. Perhaps most frightening, these numbers are based only on Washingtonians who have gotten tested for the virus. Given that only 60 percent of respondents knew their AIDS status and only 30 percent claimed to have used a condom the last time they had sex, it seems likely that the true infection statistics are higher.
These statistics offer a sobering prognosis for the country's health care system. According to a 2006 study, caring for the average HIV patient costs $600,000 over the course of a lifetime. By comparison, the World Bank states that the annual cost of caring for an HIV patient is roughly 2.7 times the GNP per capita. Put in other terms, this is approximately the same as the annual cost of educating ten primary school children.
By comparison, AIDS education is a bargain -- if the funds are used wisely. Unfortunately, DC, which was once a national leader in AIDS education and prevention, has had problems with reporting cases, targeting at-risk groups, and educating potential victims. In fact, today's shocking statistics may, ironically, be the result of a recent improvement in reporting and a 2006 routine-testing initiative. The city is hoping that improved testing, targeted education and a recently-reinstated needle exchange program will help it to once again get a handle on the problem.
Perhaps more important, with care for AIDS patients poised to take an ever-increasing bite out of the public coffers, it might be wise to seriously evaluate national expenditures on prevention and education. The key, it seems, is not just spending enough money, but spending it in the right places.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-17-2009 @ 3:52AM
sgentilejr said...
In Nature the strong and cunning survive and the weak and dumb perish. The same is true for mankind. Stupidity is the number one cause of premature death of the young.
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3-17-2009 @ 10:02AM
P. Muzi Branch said...
Richmond, VA. March 11, 2009 - A compelling new CD of poetry and music examines the complexities of life with HIV/AIDS through the words of patients who are afflicted with the condition.
“Living with It,” which was produced by the Arts in Healthcare program at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, features the poetry of HIV/AIDS patients set to music produced by professional musicians in the Richmond area. The project is designed to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, particularly in the African-American community, and to serve as a powerful tool of preventive education. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recent trends indicate that HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects the health of African-Americans, especially women and youth.
P. Muzi Branch, director of the VCUHS Arts In Healthcare Program, said the project utilizes the arts to teach and to encourage individual and community action in response to a communal crisis.
“By presenting personal testimonies in this unique format, we can work to reach a younger generation about HIV/AIDS and its dangers,” Branch said. “This CD will appeal to those who look to soul music, hip-hop, spoken word and jazz as sources of information and inspiration.”
The CD includes 12 original poems written by adult patients at the VCUHS Women’s and Children’s Clinic for Infectious Disease. The poets were offered anonymity or the use of a pseudonym, but most chose to use their real names and several opted to read their work on the CD.
Dennis Hymes’ poem “Living With It” was chosen as the title selection because of its determination and affirmation in the face of HIV/AIDS. Two of the poets, Da General and Janét, are sisters who were both infected with HIV by their mother. Mailika Green’s “Brighter Days Ahead” is a reminder that things can get better.
“We are grateful for these patients’ boldness and their willingness to share insights, to warn others about the dangers of the condition and to offer themselves as positive encouragement to inspire us all,” Branch said. “We could not have made this CD without them.”
The Poetry and Music CD will be disseminated to the general public and offered to both patients in treatment and those newly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS to help with awareness, education, therapy and relaxation. Branch said research data will be collected during the project to measure its effectiveness.
The project was partially funded by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
For more information about the Poetry and Music CD project, or to order a copy of the CD, contact P. Muzi Branch, director of Arts In Healthcare at the VCU Health System, at (804) 828-4706.
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