The caution issued by the Vice-President, Dr Ali Mohamed
Shein, against complacency following reports of the discovery
of an HIV vaccine, is very timely, indeed.
Althoughdetailed studies still need to be done to confirm that thereis a scientific breakthrough in the fight against the pandemic, some people in our country and elsewhere mistakenly believe that the vaccine may soon be available. It’s such premature excitement that is bound to make such people relax their alert against the scourge.
But whether or not even the World Health Organisation (WHO)
confirms this, it should not be a licence for the people to engage in unsafe sex as the risks would still remain.
That there are cures for sexually transmitted diseases would never mean that it’s acceptableto have them. It is simply not advisable for anybody to engage in any celebrations over the vaccine reports. It is imperative, therefore,that all continue to protect themselves against risky
behaviour.
Uganda provides a good example in our region. After years of
extensive campaigns for behaviour change and the need to use condoms, the HIV infection rate drastically declined, with Uganda winning international accolades for its efforts to keep the pandemic at bay.
The country became a case study for scientists all over the world, who arrived in large numbers to study how the scourge had been brought under control.
But the same cannot be said of Uganda today. Many people became reckless, resulting in a new surge of infections. The result is that the rate of infection is now higher than it was two decades ago.
We agree with Dr Shein that our people, especially the young,
ought to be extra careful about this pandemic. After all, available statistics indicate that many young people are contracting HIV and finally succumbing to Aids.
Political and religious leaders and health experts should continue to exhort the people not to drop their guard against HIV simply because a magazine somewhere has reported the discovery of an HIV vaccine. The national anti-Aids campaign should continue as long as HIV/Aids remains a serious health problem.
It is reassuring, therefore, that the authorities have continued towarn the people against falling prey to unscrupulous traditionalhealers who claim to cure what, it has been proven by the bestexperts around the world, has no cure.
