Global AIDS: Myths & Facts
by By Irwin, Alexander C., Millen, Joyce, and Fallows, Dorothy
Category: Political Science , General

AIDS is the most devastating communicable disease in history, and structures of poverty and injustice are magnifying the crisis in underresourced countries.More than 36 million people are infected with HIV/AIDS—the vast majority of them in the poor world, or in poor and marginalized communities within wealthy countries. And since AIDS was first recognized in the early 1980s, 13 million children have been orphaned and 22 million people have died from the disease.Irwin and Millen, co-authors of the critically praised Dying for Growth: Global Inequality and the Health of the Poor, demonstrate that it is morally imperative and practically feasible to control the spread of AIDS by overturning common myths about treatment and prevention.For example, it is often argued that ordinary citizens in rich countries can do little to fight AIDS in poor counties. But Irwin and Millen show how individual activists, students, health providers, and members of international health organizations have helped to play pivotal roles in lowering drug prices and securing increased funding for vaccine development. Activism and education by groups like ACT UP, Student Global AIDS Campaign, and various religious organizations is forcing national and international leaders to take greater responsibility for the global AIDS crisis.Features a comprehensive resource guide. Illustrated with photographs. Alexander Irwin is an assistant professor of religious studies at Amherst College. Joyce Millen is Director of Research for the Institute for Health and Social Justice. Irwin and Millen are co-authors of Dying for Growth: Global Inequality and the Health of the Poor. James Orbinski, president of Doctors Without Borders, called Dying for Growth "deeply intelligent, thoroughly researched—a must-read for all citizens and activists committed to meaningful change."