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How AIDS Endangers African Wildlife »
Posted by: jcolman 2 years, 9 months agoAbout 120,000 elephants and countless lions, leopards, crocodiles and hippos run through Botswana's Chobe National Park. But the most dangerous thing -- to wildlife and humans -- is AIDS.
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jcolman
For more than a decade, Jonathon D. Colman has designed, developed, and promoted web sites for large companies and nonprofits, including The Nature Conservancy, Conservation ...
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Comments: 108
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BronxBomber
April 10, 2007, 11:06 p.m.It's that endemic in that particular area..that's not good at all.
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lfergie812
April 10, 2007, 11:31 p.m.Thanks jcolman. That was a very interesting story and something to think about.
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catstevensComment has been removed: User banned.
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ETproductions
April 11, 2007, 12:04 a.m.Thanks for sharing this article, jcolman. It ads a note of urgency to an already huge problem. We've GOT to find the cure or a vaccine, and till we do, we've got to help these people survive.
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lvrofwolves
April 11, 2007, 12:06 a.m.Yes thanks jcolman, sometimes we lose sight of things far away from us and need reminders of other very important issues that affect us all.
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m-simon
April 11, 2007, 12:09 a.m.The answer to cutting down forests for fuel is coal and oil.
Except that that runs against the global warming crowd.
When are we going to have Nuke Plants for Africa Concerts?
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DesertFlower
April 11, 2007, 4:47 a.m.Thanks for the article jcolman In enjoyed it though I don't know what the solution to the problem is. It would of been better if when the numbers of people infected were small enough to do something about this problem, that he Government would have not stuck there heads in the sand pretending it wasn't a problem. I know of few in the world today that haven't been affected by HIV/Aids. I will leave the answers to those that know more and instead pray that the solution is found soon. I have a friend who just found out she has HIV her kids need her healthy for some years to come.
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earthlover
April 11, 2007, 7:33 a.m.jcolman, thank you for the article. a disturbing news story. i do think that the time for debating where the aids virus started should have passed now. i once watched a documentary were a jivaro healer in south america had thousands of herbs to cure a multitude of illnesses, when they visited him 29 years later he had forsaken them for asprin vicks vapour rub and other western cures. who knows what cures were lost? maybe the cures to aids and a lot of the other untreatable illnesses lie in the rain forests of this planet....maybe?
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amazed
April 11, 2007, 7:44 a.m.Handing out condoms is a start, but, and I KNOW many don't want to hear this, but Uganda has a much lower AIDS rate and they are teaching celibacy, and monogamy as well as just throwing condoms at it. The idea of bringing the workers' families to the post is a good one. Education in safer sex practice is good, but the discouraging of promiscuity is not just a value judgement in this part of the world -- it's probably their best chance of long-term survival.
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white-pawn
April 11, 2007, 8:22 a.m.Thanks, jcolman.
It's good to be reminded of this problem. Awareness is the first step.
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elel
April 11, 2007, 9:35 a.m.Kudos White Pawn, and jcolman :) Awareness, education and condoms definitely a great plan of action. This article also brought to mind how far reaching this disease is. I know I only thought of the human factor, and not the other consequences and damage due to it.
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UBCONFUSE
April 11, 2007, 10:33 a.m.KelLuv
The primary source of recreation for poor people are their genitals. This rule applies to the poor in the USA and poor Africans. In Africa, the population is totally out of control. Eventually, they will cut down every single tree and eat every animal in an effort to stay alive. Genetic mutation will stop the spread of AIDS as the population declines. The species will survive.
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tracyruns262
April 11, 2007, 11:36 a.m."These people"??? Where have YOU Been??? Right HERE in the US - folks are having the SAME PROBLEMS!!! Let me give you some US EXAMPLES of "These People".
Condoms have been readily available in the US for YEARS - UNLIKE in AFRICA and Other third WORLD Countries - YET WE have Kids and ADULTS of all ages, race, incomes getting Pregnant - WE TEACH SEX Ed in SCHOOLS - UNLIKE in AFRICA and "These People" STILL get pregnant and Catch diseases.
For a long time - Africans and other Third World country residents WERE NOT TAUGHT the manner that HIV could be apread and insteads relied on "old wive's" tales that sex with a virgin would prevent it, or use of homeopathic remedies would protect them. HERE in the US we know better and HIV/AIDS is rising among ALL age groups, ALL races, ALL income levels...
See, we really aren't all that different from THESE PEOPLE - WE ALL ARE THESE PEOPLE.
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AuntFunnel
April 11, 2007, 10:45 a.m.This article exposes the far-reaching HIV/AIDS problem of, but not just IN Africa - it's a case of the "ripple effect"of tsunami proportion, with global implications, telling us to "BEWARE" and act now.
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Searchbeam
April 11, 2007, 12:48 p.m.Kel,
What Africa needs is education, support network, and pro-active steps, such as providing condoms, treatment centers with well-trained nurses, and supply of drug cocktails that are proving to be effective in slowing the progression of the disease and extending life. ALL of these steps, along with "educating" Prime Ministers, Presidents and petty dictators about how this disease starts and progresses, will be vital to stop the virulent spread of this pandemic. I remember the stupid actions of South African President who refused to accept that AIDS was a preventable disease, and wasted years of opportunity to do something useful.
Peace and Blessings!
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crespi
April 11, 2007, 1:06 p.m.DavidHalko-
Every person (Republican/Christian) who said gays and n*g*ers deserve to get aids.
Every person (Republican/Christian) who stigmatized gays and wouldn't support AIDS research before it was an epidemic.
Every church that turned away sick people because "they must be sinners."
Fundamentalist hate-morality, attacking the victims, blocking education, is beginning to bore us all.
Besides, Fundamentalists are the biggest sinners of all. Have you seen the statistics of infidelity among Fundamentalist Christians? Not good.
And how about CHRISTIAN LEADER Ted Haggard condemning gays to Hell while having gay sex?
Try contributing something worthwhile to these discussions instead of trying to convert us because you only reveal the inherent weakness of your Fundamentalist doggerel.
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not2needy
April 11, 2007, 1:54 p.m.Thanks jcolman, excellent article/ I think AIDS has touched each and everyone of us whether directly or indirectly.
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itsme2
April 11, 2007, 2:16 p.m.This has gone on for far too long to be fixed any time soon but the steps must start now! Thank you jcolman this is an eye opener.
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jumpmaster
April 11, 2007, 3:11 p.m."largely preventable and manageable disease"
Preventable, what a concept.
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Dharma
April 11, 2007, 3:27 p.m.It is depressing to think that,as other posters have pointed out,that even with the educational opportunities here in the US we are still having this problem.Then compare that to africa where the funding,effort and education are FAR less and it is refreshing to see that,at the least,it isn't any worse,because it could have been.I understand David's sentiment and on it's face it seems like a simple answer,but it isn't.How many of you have met the little old lady,with emphysema so bad she needs oxygen,puffing away on a cigarette.Or How many of our children have taken sex ed(and/or heard the same from parents,religious leaders,peers,etc) and been told that unprotected sex,EVEN ONCE, can lead to pregnancy, disease, and even death,and yet they still do not listen...Also keep in mind when you start telling a person they are morally wrong, and their culture is very different from yours, they will tend to look at that as a personal attack and thus are even less likely to listen to you......
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simonsez
April 11, 2007, 4:05 p.m.So, what is your answer to the problem. Continue to tell them that unprotected sex can kill them?
The little old lady with emphysema knows she is killing herself and still can't stop. There is nothing you can do and more education won't help her. She made her choice.
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Homosexuallyspeaking
April 11, 2007, 4:43 p.m.Very interesting that aids is killing off the good people who are tying to protect precious wildlife and too bad that aids hadn't just afflicted the morally wrong people like the poachers and people killing animals to make aphrodisiacs and trinkets. Of course many poeple would lump me, being an HIV negative homoesexual, in with the undesirable poachers and would just assume that I die as well. But honestly I love animals!
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