Brazil: Activists Take On AIDS

Abstract

Brazil has the third highest incidence of AIDS cases in the world and up to 500000 Brazilians may be infected with HIV. Although HIV/AIDS in Brazil first infected and affected young gay educated urban White men growing numbers of heterosexuals women poor people drug users small-town residents and children are becoming infected. The number of people with AIDS in Brazil increased dramatically in 1986. However despite the rapid spread of HIV in Brazil the country is at least 5 years behind the US and Europe in its response to AIDS with relatively few organizations and initiatives in place. Resource-constrained public hospitals treat 80-90% of AIDS cases there are not enough beds available to meet demand and drugs such as AZT are either unavailable or too expensive. At the same time federal funds for AIDS research and lab equipment were slashed in 1988 as part of a general cut in spending on health and social services and training programs for hospital personnel are inadequate. The government of Brazil does however run AIDS prevention messages several times per hour during prime time television and almost 40 new organizations were created over the past 2 years in response to the AIDS epidemic. The activities of the Brazilian Interdisciplinary AIDS Association and Pela VIDDA as well as private initiatives are described.