Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - AIDS, Isn’t it Time We Demand Action? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

AIDS – Isn’t it Time We Demand Action? There are 42 million people living with AIDS worldwide. 950,000 are in the United States. New cases exceed 5 million every year. More than 28 million people die from AIDS each year. Within 10 years there will be 40 million orphans in Africa due to AIDS, and more than one-third of heavily affected countries have no strategies to deal with them. AIDS is now the fourth leading cause of death globally, and the leading cause of death in Africa (â€Å"AIDS at 20†). The plague that’s killed 22 million isn’t done with us yet. While we hunt for a vaccine, people continue to die—from AIDS or the drugs intended to treat it (â€Å"AIDS at 20†). â€Å"AIDS is not only killing the sick, but also crushing the healthy. There are two kinds of people here, the infected and the affected† (Kristof, â€Å"As Millions Die†). Though there are various excuses regarding AIDS funding, political stances, and the debate of whether or not Africa is ready to receive treatment, the fact remains that AIDS cannot sit on the backburner anymore: action needs to be taken now. FUNDING First, the question of funding; the cost of drugs has been a major issue in the treatment of AIDS. The estimated spending on AIDS prevention, care, and support in low and middle income countries in 2003 is $4.7 billion, while the estimated dollars needed to address AIDS care, prevention and support in low and middle income countries is $6.5 billion in 2003 alone, with an additional $10.5 billion in 2005 and $15 billion in 2007 (Avert). In part because of those inadequate funds, many countries will not meet basic goals like rapidly expanding AIDS prevention and care expected to them by 2005. Perhaps if America wasn’t spending an extra 87 billion dollars on futile efforts in Iraq, they would have more money to spend on the dying. â€Å"If pockets had been opened earlier, millions of lives would have been saved† (â€Å"Slowly, the Virus is Being Fought†). POLITICS There are also many various political stances regarding AIDS; President Bush pledged $15 billion for AIDS in African countries and the Caribbean over the next five years. But instead of $3 billion for the first year, he backtracked to just $2 billion (Kristof, â€Å"Prudery†). And instead of using existing channels to help, Bush created a new bureaucracy.