The World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has issued a chilling warning that an estimated three million people globally were at risk of dying from HIV/Aids for lack of medication due to the suspension of aid by the American government. Let us face it. The vast majority of those shall be from Africa.
HIV/Aids is basically an African problem. Of the more than 40 million cases worldwide as of 2021, about 26 million of them were in Africa. It matters little to continue lamenting that the virus that causes the disease was genetically engineered in more advanced laboratories of the world to target Africans.
In fact, HIV/Aids is the biggest conspiracy theory and medical genocide in history. On the other hand, it is living proof that man cannot outwit Goddid. Otherwise, there would probably be no African alive today. In Tanzania, the first cases were identified some 43 years ago, and the disease continues to elude a cure or vaccine. In contrast, a vaccine was developed for the COVID-19 virus within two years of the epidemic’s breakout!
Rather than lamenting about the millions that are going to die and the new infections that are going to occur, and therefore “reverse the 20-year gains of fighting the disease,” as the WHO boss said, Africa should seriously set in action a survival mode, based on the available information about the disease’s prevalence. Who knows or cares? The 20-year gains could actually be someone else’s loss and lamentation of frustration.
I strongly propose that Africa should approach the fight against HIV/Aids as a battle for survival and national pride. The disease heavily attacks those aged 15-49, although studies show women tend to be disproportionately affected.
In theory, therefore, it is easy to fight the disease, although as former Tanzanian President, the late Ali Hassan Mwinyi once said, it has chosen a very sensitive spot of the human anatomy as its citadel of attack.
What I am trying to say here is that HIV/Aids prevalence can be rolled back very effectively through behavioural change. We have the weapons to do it – our faith in God and the societal values, norms and traditions, all of which direct a cultured approach to issues of sexuality.
There is a very big moral difference between children raised by conservative parents at Adam and Eve’s hills. Admittedly, our religions have lost their grip, as also our values, which are being abandoned in the name of freedom.
The choice is ours, as Africans. We either fight for survival or perish. Also, the new wind blowing from Washington DC should inspire Africa to work fervently for home grown remedies. There is already talk of effective HIV/Aids herbal cures although the information is allegedly suppressed by big pharma campaigns and interests.
The Bible says: “And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2 NIV). It doesn’t say, “except for HIV/Aids.”
Finally, Africa should understand these changes in the bigger picture. America’s changed foreign policy has sent ripples across the globe.
For western Europe it has concerned mostly how the continent takes care of its defence and security in the geopolitical setting of superpower rivalry and dominance.
For Africa, it is a new awakening to grapple with its poverty. One school of thought holds that there are no poor countries but only countries that mismanage their resources, both natural and human.
For every dark cloud, there is a silver lining. Rather than lamenting the withdrawal of aid, nations should be singing passionate hosannas to the God on high for the wind of change blowing from an unempathetic global capital.
