The Prague Post Online: Opinion: Postview

November 22nd, 2008

Endowment Fund Business Listings ONLINE Reservations Classifieds Subscriptions

Postview

The need for AIDS education never stops
Postview | Search restaurants | Archives

December 5th, 2007 issue

It’s a shame that the media speaks up about the global AIDS epidemic just twice a year.

That’s what we were told by Dana Fridrichovská, campaign coordinator of the Czech Family Planning Association, in the course of researching a story on World AIDS Day. Observed Dec. 1 every year, that usually gets the media’s attention, along with a worldwide candlelight memorial held May 17 to remember those who have died from the deadly disease. The rest of the year, Fridrichovská notes, media attention wanes.

While we understand the ebb and flow of the news business, we have to agree that any coverage is worthwhile if it brings awareness to a public health issue such as this one, where information campaigns can save lives.

One of the reasons AIDS doesn’t get the attention it once did is that being HIV-positive is no longer necessarily a death sentence. HIV, the virus that leads to full-blown AIDS, can now usually be controlled with a regimen of powerful anti-retroviral drugs.

However, living with a disease of maintenance brings its own burdens. The drugs needed to manage HIV are very expensive, up to $15,000 (269,100 Kč) per year, and they’re not always covered by health insurance.

There’s also the relatively low incidence of HIV and AIDS cases in the Czech Republic, particularly in comparison with neighboring countries. But the number is rising, and there are reasons to think it could be underreported. For the first time, the number of new HIV cases broke the 100 mark this year, according to the Czech AIDS Help Society and health officials. And that figure could be as much as 20 percent higher, says the National Institute of Public Health.

Perhaps this shouldn’t be surprising. A whole generation of young people has become sexually active without ever hearing the warnings and AIDS campaign messages that were ubiquitous during the late ’80s and early ’90s. Nor have there been any recent high-profile celebrity deaths, like that of Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury in November 1991, to highlight the dangers of casual sex.

This year, the government allotted 20 million Kč for AIDS information and treatment, three-quarters of which was expected to be used for medicines and tests, according to the Czech News Agency. Next year, health officials plan to double the amount of money spent on AIDS prevention to 10 million Kč, according to Health Minister Tomáš Julínek. And he says HIV tests will be free, covered by public health insurance. That should help take away the stigma of being tested.

Let’s not stop there. What about immigrants who aren’t usually covered by the country’s generous health insurance benefits? They should also be offered free tests as well.

Otherwise, we commend the government’s current interest and hope that it continues. And the media can do its part, getting more involved in creating awareness about this critical public health issue.

AIDS may not be the hot topic that it once was, but it hasn’t gone away. Health education needs to be an ongoing process. Particularly with this deadly disease, we cannot afford to be complacent.

Be the first to add a comment!

Most e-mailed articles
The joys of heartbreak Standoff Sarkozy chides radar base

Related articles
The joys of heartbreak

Most visited in Business Listings

The Prague Post Online contains a selection of articles that have been printed in
The Prague Post, a weekly newspaper published in the Czech Republic.
To subscribe to the print paper, click here.
Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.