“Officials estimate that a million Ugandans are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Of these, an estimated 200,000 are in the advanced stages of the virus and need antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). About half of these are receiving treatment. ” (Kavuma). For decades the governments of some African countries have been unable to provide the proper healthcare for their people. Among these countries, Uganda is home to one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS.
The government has put effort in to provide treatment for the infected, but unfortunately they are lacking the funds to provide the medicine to all of the people. Many Ugandans are simply uneducated about the threats that this virus will cause to their individual lives, and also to their entire country. The HIV/ AIDS outbreak in an important problem in Uganda that the United States should be concerned about. This essay will explain the HIV/AIDS outbreak of Uganda in detail as an important current problem in Uganda.
Furthermore, this essay will describe the criteria that must be met for a problem in a foreign country to merit US aid, and why Uganda meets these criteria. It has been decades since the HIV/AIDS outbreak has occurred in Uganda, and since then their government as well as their people have been through numerous attempts to stop it. Despite Uganda’s efforts they seem to be having a hard time solving this crisis on their own.
A recent study released by the New York Times states that “five million more Ugandans will become infected and need antiretroviral drugs within the next five years”(NY Times). One of the leading problems with the fight against HIV/AIDS is that most of the Ugandans infected with the virus simply cannot get to their local healthcare centers because they do not have the money to get there. “Most of the effected people live in rural or exurban areas where clinics are far away and doctors and nurses are scarce” (McNeil, Donald).
The government is now trying to come up with a way to offer home-based care to their people, home-based care seems to be cheaper for the government to provide and also cheaper for the patients because this way they don’t have to worry about finding a way to the local clinics. The only limitation is that home-based visits may not be accepted across Africa. In effort to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS the World Health Organization believes that if all men were circumcised then this could stop about 5. 7 million new infections within twenty years throughout Africa.
“ The studies, in Kenya and Uganda, found that circumcised men are about 50 percent less likely to contract HIV than those who are not, a result that echoed similar research last year from South Africa. In all three studies, the results were so persuasive that researchers stopped their experiment’s several month’s early and offered circumcisions to all of the subjects, deeming it unethical to withhold s procedure that might prevent an often-fatal disease”(Timberg). Although this would be a great breakthrough in the treatment of the virus, many African citizens do not accept circumcisions based on their village beliefs.
Another obstacle in the way of this solution is, “Most workers trained (to perform a circumcision) leave the country to better pay” (Kagumire). Among Uganda’s humane efforts to control the spread, their government seems to be losing hope and is now turning to more immoral way to solve the crisis. “ The Ugandan government is backing an Anti-Homosexuality bill that would introduce some of the worlds toughest punishments for gays, with a minimum life sentence for anyone convicted of having gay sex and a mandatory death penalty if the person is HIV-positive” (Jopson).
The Government and people of Uganda need to be educated about the causes of HIV/ AIDS, as you can see they are having trouble solving this HIV/AIDS outbreak on their own. The HIV/AIDS outbreak is an important current problem for the people of Uganda because this virus is taking the lives of people every single day. The citizens of United States need to be aware that not every country is as fortunate as ours and cannot always provide the proper healthcare to their people.
Uganda needs help and they need it now. There are a variety of different areas the U. S can provide assistance to Uganda in. In the Millennium Challenge Account we see that in the fiscal year of 2010, Uganda could use major assistance in: Political rights, Control of Corruption, Immunization rates, Health Expenditures, Girls Primary Education Completion, and Business Start-up. By helping Uganda in all of these categories we could ultimately help them to bring the spread of HIV/AIDS to a halt forever.
According to the Millennium Challenge Account, Uganda does merit the U. S concern and aid. Uganda passed more than half of the requirements given by the MCC, and has the potential to be a thriving and successful country. All that they need is some help from the United States to get their people the healthcare that truly need and deserve. Uganda, just like many other parts of Africa is filled with corruption and danger, this may be one of the leading reasons why people may not want to give US money to Uganda.
People believe that countries with violence and corruption do not deserve help. They may say that our US money will be put to us in negative ways, instead of using the money to help their people. Although Africa does have a lot of corruption and is dangerous in many parts, if the Unites States help and educate the people of Uganda on the right ways to live then United States could help shed a new light on these African Countries. Also, not all of the people living in these countries are violent most of them are victims to the crimes.
Our government could also supervise the Ugandan government to make sure they use the money to help stop the HIV spread. Uganda has been suffering from the spread of HIV/AIDS for long enough; they need our countries assistance in stopping the spread of this horrible virus. The Unites States citizens should care about the spread of HIV/AIDS in Uganda because there are people out there dying from a virus that is easily treated in Unites States. We, as a country need to feel more compassion to these people who do not have the Healthcare luxuries that we do.
Works Cited Jopson, Barney. ”Ugandan government backs anit-gay legislation” The Washington Post. 19 Dec 2009. A. 9. Proquest National Newspapers Core. Web. 2 Feb 2010. Kagumire, Rosebell. ”Ugandan Effot to constrain HIV spread hampered by systemic and cultural obstacles to male circumcision. ” CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal. 179. 11(18 Nov 2008) 1119. Academic Onefile. Web. 28 Jan 2010. Kavuma, Richard. “HIV in Uganda: the challenges of getting pills to patients. ” Multinational Monitor. 28.
2(Mar-Apr 2007) 32. Academic Onefile. Web. 2 Feb. 2010 McNeil. Jr. , Donald G. “ AIDS: Study in Rural Uganda finds benefits in Treating AIDS Patients at Home”. The Washington Post. 23 Nov. 2009. NA. ProQuest National Newspaper Core. Web. 2 Feb 2010. Timberg, Craig. “ Circumcision Shown to slow Spread of HIV in Africa; [FINAL Edition]” The Washington Post. 14 Dec 2006. A. 1. ProQuest National Newspapers Core. Web. 2 Feb 2010 “Uganda FY10”. Millennium Challenge Corporation. 21 October. Web. 9 Feb 2010.