Esteemed E-forum Members and Facilitators,
I would like to respectfully submit the following to bolster my aforementioned argument regarding the flawed HIV Prevalence. I've been a student in Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases and will not rest my argument until the truth surfaces. By that time, thousands and thousands would have succumbed to HIV and thousands... more will be looking at their grave. To my knowledge this whole thing is not adding up. Can Richard and Collins please give us the Teen Pregnancy Rates of Tanzania and Uganda? I want to proof to you that the problem is much bigger that what is being reported to the GF. These governments have to come clean.
How on earth can the HIV prevalence rates come down when the teenage pregnancy rates in the same countries are very high? Common sense should tell us that teens are engaging in "UNPROTECTED SEX".
Let us have a look at this country. July 10th, 2007 The NATION, Nairobi reported that the Dutch Government was setting up a Centre for the Study of Adolescence for 40 Secondary Schools in the provinces of Nairobi and Nyanza. The study shows that 23% of the girls aged 15-18 are either pregnant or young mothers
It is also a known fact that HIV rates rise in environments where conflict thrives and the IGAD and HORN of AFRICA regions are no strangers to conflict and wars perpetuated by some of the leaders transporting and exporting HIVAIDS all over the place as the ARMIES, REBELS, MILITIAS etc. continue to violate and rape women and children in these war zone areas. People use rape as a tool to dehumanise women and children and today some are even aware of their HIVAIDS status, but choose to infect innocent defenseless women and children.
Our numbers will be skewed and too many people will be disenfranchized and marginalized if we go by the inaccurate prevalence. We can't be efficient in developing capacity if we are off with our numbers by so many percentages. Furthermore, until the GENDER and CULTURAL perspectives of HIVAIDS are tackled forget the fake figures...a lot is at play and for millions a lot is at stake.
Respectfully,
Fenna E. Bacchus CEO/President
Functional Illiteracy Research and Education Inc.
544 Walnut Street
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714-2329 - USA
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