We could easily begin tonight's headline story with a serviceable opener like: "HIV and Aids continues to be public health enemy number one in Belize." But the truth is we've run out of ways to dramatically impart the corrosive, deleterious, all pervading effect it has had on society. Plainly stated, the bottom line is: it was bad; it's gotten worse; and, unless behavior changes, it going to get even worse, unthinkably so; and if you don't already, you will soon know somebody who has died or will die from Aids related illnesses. The continued growth of the epidemic was confirmed at the launch of the HIV and Aids Epidemiological Profile for 2003 this afternoon. At the end of 2003 there were 2,676 persons living with HIV and Aids in Belize, and that's only what is being reported in data that is 15 months old.
And while that's the bad news, today, the real news was between the lines and that's where Keith Swift went looking for answers.
Keith Swift Reporting,
The 2003 annual HIV/Aids epidemiological profile confirmed what most already knew: Belize has the highest rate of HIV and Aids infection in Central America. More disturbing is that in 2002 and 2003 Aids was the number one killer for Belizeans between ages 30 and 49.
Dr. Paul Edwards, Epidemiologist Ministry of Health
"We see the number of HIV/Aids infections continue to increase. Last year there as a reported 457 as compared to 447 from the year before, so the numbers continue to increase. This is a public health threat. It is a threat to all the developmental gains because we look at whereby the age group 15 through 49 is most affected. We cannot continue on this path."
A treacherous path illustrated with these charts and graphs by Dr. Paul Edwards as he delivered the grim news to a roomful of social and health sector stakeholders. The tale was of an epidemic gnawing at Belize's productive population in Belize's commercial center.
Dr. Paul Edwards,
"The report is demonstrating how serious HIV/Aids is in Belize. When we talk about the increasing number of HIV infections, when we talk about those 15 to 49 being most affected, and even within that age group we talk of those 20 through 39, and we talk about young females being infected at a younger age group as compared to males, and the possibility of older males who are more experienced and having more sexual activity possibly passing this disease on to younger females. It talks about the importance of recognizing that the disease is very much concentrated in the Belize District."
Those same figures also show that HIV has become an equal opportunity disease. Today as many women are affected as men.
Dr. Paul Edwards,
"It is almost one to one which is saying then that there are more females becoming infected with this virus. But we have to be careful because we have a program specifically set up to testing females, the prevention of mother to child transmission program. However we know that more females are being with this virus."
More females, more males, and more Belizeans. Edwards says the figures all add up to a gloomy future for Belize.
Dr. Paul Edwards,
"The implications can be grave just like what is apparent in Africa whereby people go to work in the mornings and in the afternoons they go to funeral services. You talk about the lack of human resource and human resource with technical capacity who may be dying from this disease and therefore that workforce, that labor force, will be greatly diminished, affected, and it has larger repercussions for the economy of this country."
But with government doing its part through provision of free anti-retroviral drugs, free testing, and a safe sex ad blitz - Edwards says its really now left up to us, every man and woman to stem the spread.
Dr. Paul Edwards,
"I think as Belizeans we each have to stop, look at ourselves, and to ask ourselves what am I doing to prevent my not getting HIV. We've got to be responsible for our behaviors and I also want to say let's get our test, know where we are at, protect ourselves, access the services that are there available, so that we can have a more productive and meaningful life."
And even as the bad news from 2003 was presented - there was some good. Though inconclusive, Edwards told 7NEWS new incidences of HIV and Aids may be stabilizing.
Dr. Paul Edwards,
"If we look at the information from the last two years, we saw 431 new HIV infections, 447, and then last year 457. It almost appears that we are starting to plateau, it appears. It will take a couple more years to see that being actually plateaud, being leveled off and then hopefully decreasing."
A glint of good news across a landscape of despair.
Considering the importance of the study we note there were no Cabinet Ministers present at this afternoon's ceremony. Minister of Health Vildo Marin was scheduled to deliver the keynote address but the gathering was told he could not make it because of an emergency. The report was compiled by the Ministry of Health, PAHO, and CAREC.
