Postview: HIV rates an epidemic in bad governance

This week's lead story documents the alarming rise of new HIV infections in the Czech Republic, which is almost directly paralleled by an accompanying decrease of government money allocated to fighting and preventing the spread of the deadly virus.

At first glance, it could read as a preview of coming attractions of other social problems that may indeed get much worse as the government continues to cut funding to a variety of necessary programs (road construction being another). However, the deep cuts to funding HIV/AIDS prevention programs long predates any international economic downturn and instead points to simple neglect.

Indeed, all the statistics on the issue come from the Health Ministry, and one would think even a cursory glance at the data by an epidemiologist or public health expert would have shed light on the correlation between decreased funding and increased infection rates. In fact, one has to assume the connection has been so obvious for years that it is simply a matter of no health minister (and there have been many) having the courage to speak up or act.

In some ways, this can be expected. HIV/AIDS tends to disproportionately affect certain segments of the population, ones that a public official gains little political capital for championing. And much like in the Czech Republic, in the Western world, a shift has occurred since the late 1990s, leading to HIV/AIDS being perceived of as a problem only in Africa.

The facts, however, are the facts. Each year, the Czech government cuts money for HIV/AIDS prevention programs the rate of infection grows. Acting on this issue is unlikely to win any political party an election anytime soon, but it would certainly be the sign of political leadership with the capability of solving simple problems with simple solutions. There is nothing political about the issue, a commitment to paying for education on and the prevention of HIV should decrease the rates of infection.

HIV has not reached epidemic proportions in the Czech Republic yet, but continued failure to do something about the growing infection rate would be a strong indication of an epidemic of poor governance.