How to deal with HIV/AIDS in Africa?

In South Africa one in ten citizens have contracted the HIV virus. The U.S. government banned them from producing their own generic versions of protease inhibitors about eight years ago. Most people cannot afford the expensive rates required by American pharmeseutical companies. Also, over one million children in Uganda have been orphaned by AIDS. Without access to AZT and treatment, many mothers stand to take a thirty percent risk of infecting their unborn fetuses. Breastfeeding worsen the problem because of tainted milk and there is often no safe alternative due to a lack of stable food supply, no clean water and poor sanititation. Countries like Somalia and the Sudan are starting to show signs of HIV spreading even though, traditionally, it was nearly nonexistent. What can we do as members of the Western world to improve their conditions and lessen their plight?

A complex question, that is made worse by the poverty and lack of hope. If their nutrition and hygenic resources were better, there could be more resistance to the HIV/AIDS virus. When poverty is so rampant and the hope of getting work so low, to get a marriage licence is too much of a burden, so sex seems to be an outlet. It is much more a heterosexual disease than in North America. Nelson Mandela I think has managed to get committments for cheaper anti-retrovirals. I think I'd like to see more exchange programs so they can see life out here and translate it to help for their own people. Our youth going there too to learn how to set up little businesses like coffee shops or bowling alleys with them, and also helping with education and self-help programs to empower the people and invest in co-operatives and fair trade. Or that computer for every child should help the survivors. Need to get power out to them too. Networking is essential to make a difference.

the best solution would be to teach these third world people some morality. Just like here in the states, if you have unprotected sex with prositutes, you will get HIV....too bad...so sad....if you are a needle sharing intravenous drug user...you will get AIDS.....too bad...so sad....there are always innocent people who get infected by tranfusion, cheating husbands etc...I say save the expensive drugs for those cases and let the rest perish.