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Answer lies in educating people, readers say
Focused research can also make a difference
- By Mohammad Jihad, Community Web Editor
- Published: 00:00 December 1, 2009
Dubai: Educating people remains the most effective approach in the battle against Aids, Gulf News readers asked for their views on global efforts to counter the scourge said.
With World Aids Day being observed today [December 1], readers also called on the research community to try harder for a medical breakthrough.
Harry Maltby, a British national working in sales and leasing, believes more should be done to combat Aids. Although he admitted that a lot of research is being done globally, he said there was need for sharper focus on the disease considering its emergence as one of the deadliest worldwide.
Extensive research is especially imperative given that a cure is hard to come by, he said.
In his country of origin, education is used as a weapon with more schools educating pupils about the dangers of Aids, Maltby said. "If a person does not know about it, how will he or she prevent it," he asked.
Plight of children
He said: "It is so hard to see children born with this medical condition as it is not their fault, but they still have to live with it for the rest of their lives."
Sumitha Ayilliath, an Indian national residing in Dubai, sought to draw attention to a report in The Times of India newspaper highlighting a decrease in the number of patients suffering from Aids in certain parts of India largely due to awareness campaigns.
She said: "If people know about the necessary precautions that need to be taken, then the spread of Aids could be controlled."
It is becoming common to see awareness campaigns in schools, on television, and even on the streets back home in her country, she said.
Ayilliath also agreed that if people were not well-informed about Aids, they would never come to know how to avoid it.
She added: "People need to know what Aids is and need to know what precautions they should take because if the issue is ignored then it would only spread."
Robson Chiambiro, a Zimbabwean national residing in Abu Dhabi, too, agreed that education is the key factor in combating Aids.
However, mass campaigns could be counterproductive in that they would provide information of a general and limited nature, he said.
He said education as a tool had to be applied at a personal level, based on an individual's level of awareness and personality. "If a nine-year-old sees an advertisement with sketchy details about Aids, he or she might get inquisitive and take a wrong step."
According to Chiambiro, people in Zimbabwe hold many awareness campaigns. "There is a lot of money being put into campaigns. There are experts visiting schools to teach students and putting up posters in every corner," he said.
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