By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
For decades, humans have been battling acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), a deadly disease and the object of fear.
Still, an increasing number of people are being diagnosed as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive, which can develop into AIDS. Korea is no exception ㅡ about two people are diagnosed every day, according to health ministry reports.
Steve Kraus, chief of the HIV/ AIDS Branch at the United Nations Population Fund, said people should be more humble about the virus. ``I think AIDS will be around here for quite a long time. We have learnt some lessons. In the past, people have been enthusiastic about developing vaccines and drugs to prevent it ㅡ but we have failed,'' he said in an interview with The Korea Times.
World-renowned tycoon Bill Gates, who has vowed to fight against the disease during his retirement contributes to the development of research, but curing it seems to be quite unlikely at least for now, he added.
Therefore, Kraus stressed the importance of early detection of HIV so as not to let it develop into AIDS, as well as efficient means of prevention.
For a long time, some parts of the world have taken a one-sided prevention strategy ㅡ focusing on chastity and monogamy.
Kraus said that prevention strategies should be considered through the lens of culture. ``The way Korean men and women are exposed to HIV is completely different from that of Zambia. Therefore, the way you talk about prevention should be designed differently, too,'' He said.
In Thailand, the 100 Percent Condom Program, urging commercial sex workers to use condoms during sexual intercourse, has seen great progress. In Uganda, talking about staying faithful to one's sex partner has worked and in Brazil, focusing on homosexual groups, sex industry workers and drug users has reportedly been successful too.
Kraus suggested that in Korea, where the idea of being infected by HIV is more than a taboo, breaking the barrier between being HIV positive and negative comes first. He said he has seen a great example.
``When U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon first took office, he met HIV positive staff inside the U.N. ㅡ approximately 1.5 percent of the organization. He later said it was very impressive that these staff were just the same as any of us ㅡ they were intelligent and humorous like anyone else,'' he said.
Showing the lives of those who are HIV positive and bringing them to light will be able to let people understand the truth about it, he said.
He also noted that international society is moving to support those testing positive. ``Ban as well as world health organization leaders meet CEOs of pharmaceutical companies three times a year and persuade them to cut prices,'' he said.
``Nowhere in the world is safe from HIV any more ㅡ not even North Korea, which claims to be AIDS-free. We need to face it and deal with it now,'' he said.