What factors inhibited the early war against acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)?
There was the lack of information to the public; in essence, the CDC did not communicate the correct information to the public. Many people assumed that the disease was for gay people yet the disease affected everyone. For instance, owners of the public bathrooms did not see the importance of closing the baths down yet they were a threat to the health of the public, (And The Band Played On 1993, 1993).
The disease is also a rare one, and it did not have a name in the first place. It was quite difficult to establish the causative agent and its behavior.
The government did not financially support the efforts of the medical departments. For instance, President Reagan increased the budget for defense and not public health, yet the disease required more attention (And The Band Played On 1993, 1993). Also, the lab to be used was in a sorry state. There was the lack of the fundamentals in a lab like an electron microscope; in this case, it crippled the operations of the medical personnel in determining the behavior of the disease.
There was also the lack of proper policies in examining the blood transfused to people hence they ended up giving AIDS to people unknowingly especially to hemophiliacs - about 89% of them were infected. The lack of these policies inhibited the fight of AIDS in the country.
Do you believe the AIDS outbreak could have been stopped? Why or why not?
Yes the AIDS outbreak could have been stopped if the government invested in the public health sector by providing the necessary funds for the lab and the information required by the medical department. In this case, they would get tangible information, and they would have managed it before it further spread.
They also did not provide tangible or rather validated information to the public hence leaving the public in the dark. They were left to believe that it was ‘gay cancer’ (And The Band Played On 1993, 1993). If the people had sufficient information, they would have known how to avoid the disease hence reducing its rate of spreading.
What role does advocacy play in the film?
Advocacy for gay rights promoted the acceptance of gays in the country and also the opening of the public baths for gays; unfortunately, this was among the prevalent causes of the spread of AIDS (And The Band Played On 1993, 1993). Also, the owners of the public baths advocated for not closing the public baths because they were in it for the money (And The Band Played On 1993, 1993). They did not see how these public baths resulted in AIDS.
How much publicity does HIV/AIDS receive today?
Currently, HIV/AIDS has become a public health concern, as recognized around the world. There have been campaigns launched to publicize the AIDS epidemic like Act against Aids to prevent infection and enhance prevention of the epidemic. Over the years, information has been greatly disseminated to the public on the transmission and prevention of AIDS. Therefore there has been a substantial drop in this epidemic.
What’s the story of HIV/AIDS in the 21st century? Explain.
In the 21st century, HIV/AIDs is no longer seen as an epidemic for the gay but one that affects everyone regardless of age, gender or race. In the 21st century, more than 36.7 million people have HIV/AIDS ("Global HIV/AIDS Overview", 2017). In essence, this is indeed a health concern that should not be ignored at all costs. In this century, people with HIV/AIDS are no longer stigmatized; they are more accepted in the society, and there are more programs to assist the infected. Also, the government has invested more in the public health sector, unlike the previous centuries in order to manage HIV/AIDS. ARV drugs are more accessible to patients and most importantly, people are embracing protective measures to reduce the effects of HIV/AIDS in this century.
References
And The Band Played On 1993. (1993). USA.
Global HIV/AIDS Overview. (2017). Aids.gov. Retrieved 3 January 2017, from https://www.aids.gov/federal-resources/around-the-world/global-aids-overview/
