Despite headline, we have not won Aids war but we have the tools to save lives

DESPITE the recent headline in the Cape Times that read, “SA wins the HIV/Aids war”, it is clear to me from my personal experience that the country still has a long way to go and needs to do a lot better. The “war” has certainly not been won. While I am thoroughly optimistic about the progress that has been made in dealing with the HIV/Aids pandemic, I fear a new form of denialism has spread that is dangerous and breeds complacency across the country, the continent and the globe.

Winning the war will require a sustained effort and investment from governments, the private sector and all of us as individuals. In case you think the HIV/Aids war has been won, consider the following five facts published by Unicef and UNAids:

Aids is now the leading cause of death for African teenagers and the second most common killer of adolescents across the globe.

Around 18.9 percent of the adult population in South Africa is living with HIV (that’s around one in five adults!)

South Africa has about 6.8 million people living with HIV (more than any other country in the world) and the highest number of new infections.

Every day there are 5 600 new infections globally and most people still think that they are personally not at risk of contracting HIV. Only 41 percent of people living with HIV have access to antiretroviral therapy.

It’s an illusion to think that we have “won the war against HIV/Aids”. The issue of HIV/Aids is as urgent now as it was at any other time during its history. What makes me optimistic is that we have the tools to end the Aids pandemic and to save lives. Now, unlike in the past, death is not inevitable.

Losing more people – especially our youth – to this disease is only inevitable if we deny it and ignore it. We can do better and we need to do better to win this war. Whitney Johnson

Founder/CEO of Generation Ubuntu NPC