Test and Treat, pt. 2
As a follow up to the posting, “Is there such a thing of being too little, too late when it comes to AIDS.” The Washington Post printed a story that raises some concerns about the study the National Institutes of Health plans to launch in the Bronx and Washington D.C. It is believed that the study, to test and treat every adult in two high risk communities, is a flawed model first created by the World’s Health Organization. There are several questions and concerns regarding the plan, such as to whether testing every adult is possible and if you are able to test every adult, will they opt for treatment. Other concerns revolve around the consequences of encouraging bad sexual practices with the success of treatment and the chance of inducing drug resistance.
There is no doubt that there is need for a plan, much less a national strategy, to reduce the number of new HIV infections and decrease the death rates in these high risk communities. Beyond the success or failure of this inital plan, some aggressive moves needs to be made to slow the spread of this disease. The government and many national organizations have been slow to respond. There needs to be a cohesive plan and it need to happen now!
