I've seen many TV specials/News articles on this topic. Here are some reason they mentioned as to why the virus is rampant in Africa:
1. General unawareness of the methods in which HIV/AIDS is contracted.
*Sadly this is true. I watched a public hearing on cable once and a young African girl raised her hand and asked if there was a cure for AIDS.
2. In war-torn countries men often took up with prostitutes and broight the disease back to their wives.
3. The unwillingness of the governments of those countries to accept the situation/make public awareness a priority.
*In one country the president is actually funding research to see if HIV really causes AIDS. (Hmm.)
4. Myths that give AIDS patients false hope and often make the infected population grow (i.e., if you have sex with a virgin girl it will rid you of the virus).
All in all it doesn't seem like the disease is coming from nowhere. The facts are hard to dispute. Plus there are other factors as well...take the pharmaceutical companies. They refuse to lower the prices so that suffering Africans can prolong their lives in comfort rather than die in pain. One dose of the medicine that can keep a man from dying costs more than he makes in a month. That is probably why the life expectancy is so low.
It's heartbreaking to see...but I don't know if I'd say it was a conspiricy.
[This message has been edited by Poplife (edited July 13, 2000).]
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