THE AIDS epidemic, which now infects 34 million people around the world, has been described as "the worst infectious disease threat in recorded history."So much so that Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, told the closing session of the XIII International AIDS Conference in Durban yesterday that the challenge now is to move from rhetoric to action...at an unprecedented intensity and scale..."
Dr. Ronald Valdescerri, deputy AIDS chief at the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said the meeting had underscored the need for global solidarity as there was no way to ignore the catastrophe unfolding around the world.
Against this background, it is disconcerting to hear, as was reported to the international meeting, that churches in Jamaica have not given full support to a sex education campaign to fight the disease.
Exceptions were cited in the case of denominations such as the Roman Catholics, Baptists, Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses, which are said to teach about sexual issues.
While health officials here have been quite adept at disseminating information on the spread of HIV/AIDS, one of their greatest concerns has been the general reluctance of people to integrate this new information into their lives and make meaningful lifestyle changes.
Specialists in behaviour modification will point to many factors that hinder change such as the source of the information, the receptor's perception of his own risk and his perception of the seriousness of the health condition. The level of social support provided by family, peers and even an important social organisation such as the church will impact on how information on HIV/AIDS is received and used.
It seems to us that notions about immunity to disease deriving from some cloak of divinity ought to be dispelled by strong doses of realism - from pulpit or secular platform.
