By Anonymous
https://www.virusmyth.com/aids/index/africa.htm
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Prelude
"And Conrad's stand-in, Marlow, (in Heart of Darkness), muses on how 'the conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much."
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"The Constant Gardener" by John le Carre. (Author's Note): Coronet Books, Hodder and Stoughton, London. 2001.
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Preface
This monograph discusses the vexed question of HIV/AIDS.
It is based on the assumption that to understand this matter, it is necessary to study it.
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The monograph seeks to advance the cause both of better health for all our people and the recovery of our dignity as black people and human beings. These are fundamental to our very being as a movement and a people and therefore do not permit of any compromise.
Chapter I
As the 19th century came to a close, in 1900, the great pan-Africanist, W.E.B. du Bois, said that the problem of the 20th century was the problem of the colour line. During the last year of this 20th century, 2000, our President, Thabo Mbeki, was asked to open the Durban 13th International AIDS Conference, which he did.
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Mark Twain put this differently when he said the 'all the human race loves a lord... In the Jardin des Plantes I have seen a cat that was so vain of being the personal friend of an elephant that I was ashamed of her.'
Chapter II
Perhaps in citing these passages, especially from "Eros & Civilisation", we have moved forward far too quickly in terms of the presentation of our narrative, which the omnipotent apparatus views and denounces as non-conformist.
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"I am suggesting you consider the problem of latent syphilis, when the disease has gone untreated or inadequately treated for some highly variable period of time, a phenomenon which has simply not been investigated in modern times in terms of its immunologic consequences." (Our emphasis).
Chapter III
Other scientists have also addressed the issues raised above, that "profound changes in the host immune response may account for the dramatic differences in the behaviour of the AIDS epidemic in Africa and in other developing countries."
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Rutengwe R., Oldewage-Theron W, Oniang'o R & Vorster H.H.
Abstract
"About one third of the world's population suffer from micronutrient deficiencies and hundreds of millions suffer from chronic diseases of lifestyle. Prevalence rates, particularly low birth weight, stunting and underweight, remain high particularly in Eastern Africa and South Central Asia. More than a third of all children in developing countries remain constrained in their physical growth and cognitive development. The 1990 ambitious goal of halving childhood underweight prevalence by the year 2000 has not been achieved by most countries. Global progress in fighting malnutrition is slow and crippled by rapid increase of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, the so-called "double burden of disease". About 115 million people suffered from obesity related diseases in the year 2000. Overweight and obesity (globesity) prevalence is advancing rapidly in developing countries.
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According to this argument, necessarily, therefore, the two principal and decisive responses open to us, to respond to Africa's health challenges, are the use of condoms and the consumption of anti-retroviral drugs. Everything else that causes ill health and death among us, the omnipotent apparatus argues, is of peripheral importance.
Chapter IV
However, the rejection of the argument by the omnipotent apparatus - that there is no special African HI Virus, but, rather, the scourge of poverty and underdevelopment - means that there are more questions that require answers.
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Despite the objections by the South African born and trained Dr Sonnabend, one of the first doctors to treat AIDS in New York and the US, speculation had been accepted as fact, that HIV causes AIDS.
Chapter V
If, however, despite and perhaps because of this peculiar manner of 'advancing' science, it is true that we have not identified our own unique virus, the question then arises – what methods were used to identify the millions in our country who are said to be HIV-positive?
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This brings us to the question of treatment.
Chapter VI
In this article, we will mainly discuss the issue of so-called mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT/MTC), given the extraordinary volume of publicity around this matter. In this regard, we will concentrate on the drug "Nevirapine", which is said to be the most effective for this condition, the cheapest and the easiest to administer.
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To this day, the important issues raised in this article have not been answered. We do not know how many of our people have died as others, such as those at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, conducted experiments on our people or "treated" them, relying on dangerously tendentious results of clinical trials and MCC approvals of trials sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies.
Chapter VII
Before we proceed to the matter of MTCT and nevirapine, let us briefly discuss the issue of AZT, which continues to have its own fans in our country. It is used by the provincial government of the Western Cape among African women allegedly for MTCT. Despite the unequivocal advice of its manufacturer that it should not be used in instances of rape, those intent on marketing this drug continue to demand that it should be made available for this purpose within our public health system.
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on what scientific basis did our Medicines Control Council (MCC) license AZT in our country?; and,
should those doctors who prescribe AZT and other anti-retroviral drugs not be held personally liable in the event that their patients develop the illnesses caused by the toxicity of these drugs?
Chapter VIII
Let us now return to the matter of MTCT and nevirapine.
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(NB: the population of Uganda is now 23 million!)
Chapter IX
This, of course, raises the critically important question of where these resources are to come from, "to eliminate poverty." For those who think that the route of the extensive distribution of anti-retroviral drugs is the most affordable, they should take heed of what an IMF staff study had to say.
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What is meant by an AIDS-orphan – how are these scientifically determined as 'AIDS-orphans' as opposed to mere orphans?
Chapter X
We have already referred to the need to get accurate information about the incidence of disease and death in our country. Everyday, we are fed with "information" that large numbers of people are dying from AIDS, with many anecdotes being told.
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The question arises naturally – why this groundswell of belief and faith!
Chapter XI
The answer lies in the reality that the hypotheses about ourselves, that are presented as facts, rest on an age-old definition by others of what and who we are, as Africans.
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"To the degree to which organised labour operates in defense of the status quo, and to the degree to which the share of labour in the material process of production declines, intellectual skills and capabilities become social and political factors. Today, the organised refusal to cooperate of the scientists, mathematicians, technicians, industrial psychologists, and public opinion pollsters may well accomplish what a strike, even a large-scale strike, can no longer accomplish but once accomplished, namely, the beginning of the reversal, the preparation of the ground for political action. That the idea appears utterly unrealistic does not reduce the political responsibility involved in the position and function of the intellectual in contemporary industrial society."
Chapter XII
With the help of some of these intellectuals, we have learnt to analyse the acronym AIDS. The omnipotent apparatus told us that this is a disease. What we have come to understand is that it is a syndrome. It is uncontestable that AIDS stand for the – Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
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For us, the recipients of their expert knowledge and advice, their work is about our health and our dignity as human beings. It is about helping to find answers to many unanswered questions about HIV/AIDS.
Chapter XIII
Vol 1 No 4, 2001 of the journal, ANC Today, carried an article about some of these questions. It said:
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Perhaps, when our government asked the scientists to answer the questions that had not been answered, we expected too much of them. We expected them to help us to answer the questions that Shelley posed. We expected that they would give us the knowledge forever to weave rainbows over the rivers that spring in the mountains of Ukhahlamba.
Chapter XV
Because we are African, who have to overcome centuries of treatment as the repulsive and unacceptable Other, could we avoid to ask the question – why have fellow human beings such a scope for love and hate, despondency and hope!
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