From Mark Cichocki, R.N.,
Your Guide to AIDS / HIV.
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Africa has been ravaged by HIV and AIDS. There is a constant public outcry for more money, more research, and more healthcare workers and educators to slow the epidemic in the already decimated country. At last week's International AIDS Conference in Toronto, the 24,000 attendees heard the likes of President Bill Clinton and Bill Gates making the case for more money to get the HIV/AIDS problem under control. Granted, Africa needs help and for the most part people, governments, and private sources are stepping forward to assist in the battle.

We all know the impact HIV has had on Africa and the world, but what people don't realize is the impact it is having on other serious health issues in that country. Dr. Richard Horton, editor of the London-based medical journal, The Lancet gave a speech at the conference that shined a light on a growing problem facing those charged with improving world public health. While the much needed HIV dollars keep coming in, an unexpected result of that influx of cash is occuring; the diversion of medical expertise from other medical fields to the fight against HIV.

Others are noticing this disturbing trend. Laurie Garrett, a Pulitzer Prize winning author who is currently a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York pointed out that because of the amount of money coming in and the monetary resources available health care workers who decide to become HIV/AIDS health workers can see a 10-fold increase in pay. Meanwhile, issues such as food and water borne illnesses, diarrhea, and poor sanitation and hygeine are pushed aside for the lure of more money by working in the HIV field. Unfortunately, the aforementioned public health issues are killers in their own right. In his speech at Dr. Horton estimated that 1 million more health care workers are needed in Africa alone. He pointed out that health care workers are being lured to HIV because of better pay and monetary resources while the healthcare workforce has not grown enough to offset the losses.

Certainly, nobody debates the need for HIV/AIDS funding and HIV healthcare workers. What needs to be recognized is the urgent need for more funding to fight the other serious public health issues in Africa. Concluding his talk, Dr. Horton reminded;

"It's not HIV versus malaria and TB, it's HIV and malaria and TB."

_Source: Pinkerton, James P. "Too Much Talking Not Enough Listening"; San Francisco Chronicle; August 21, 2006.