HIV/AIDS in Africa

After clicking on the link for the article for “National HIV and AIDS Strategic Framework,” I experienced a mixture of shock and embarrassment. I experienced shock because I was surprised to find that Zambia had created a framework to combat HIV and AIDS within their nation. I then immediately experienced embarrassment that I felt this way. Why did I think African nations were not developing valid, viable plans of their own to combat the AIDS epidemic? It makes sense that they would want to make a positive difference in their own country. They are seeing the effects of the AIDS problem firsthand. I still wonder from where my misconceptions have risen. Is it because I only hear of the United Nations constantly pressuring African nations to take responsibility for their citizens? I do not remember hearing about good efforts and measures that African nations are taking on behalf of their citizens’ well-being. I only hear of corrupt governments that are leading to violence. I feel we could all benefit from hearing more of the positive impacts African governments are having on their citizens.

So, I continued to read in order to find out what the Zambian government was doing to combat HIV and AIDS and their effects. Their plans include many of the same plans I have always heard to combat AIDS: abstinence, education, one partner, etc. I also found it interesting that they too were working on providing HIV/AIDS victims with the proper medicines. Then I began to wonder how all their wonderful plans would be funded in such a poor continent.

Towards the end of the article, the author addresses the obstacle of funding in Zambia and other African nations. The author says, “Too often, districts and CSOs are asked to produce plans…to be told after that the financial resources are not available for their plans” and “it is often shown that it is not only lack of funding that constrains implementation, but rather uncertainty and delayed flows of funds.” I think these two lines get at the heart of the problem that governments in Africa are facing. First, they need money to combat the horrible problem of AIDS plaguing their countries. However, their economies generally are not strong enough to provide enough money to fund the projects they need to implement. Secondly, the funds they do have access to are, ironically, not easily accessible. The author talks about the “uncertainty and delayed flows of funds.” I realize that this refers to the bureaucracy and developing nature of their own governments. However, I wonder if it also refers to the slow flow of funding from other countries, namely developed nations. For example, the United States has often offered assistance only to be extremely slow in actually giving the assistance these countries need.

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What needs to be done to halt the progression of HIV/AIDS?
What is the United State's role?