A prominent African-American AIDS organization has accused the United States government of ‘doing too little to fight AIDS among black Americans, in whom the size and scope of the epidemic resembles that seen in many African nations.’

The Black AIDS Institute argued in a 55-page report that ‘the disease should be viewed as a threat to the entire black population, and not just specific high-risk groups. Unlike in white Americans — and in the citizens of most industrialized nations — HIV in American blacks is increasingly transmitted heterosexually through “networks” where men especially have many sex partners at the same time, the report noted.’

Ironically enough, the ‘report’s authors asserted that the black AIDS epidemic here is being overlooked as the United States is allocating unprecedented resources to fighting the disease in sub-Saharan Africa.’

George W. Bush has done more than any other president in US history to fight AIDS in Africa. Although much work remains to be done in the continent where human kind first saw the light of day, a lot has improved in recent years. If it was not for Bush’s efforts in this regard, millions more Africans would suffer from AIDS right now, their lives would have been even more horrible than they currently are and there would have been a lot more orphans; the medical treatment African AIDS victims receive due to US support decreases their pain and enables them to live longer despite this disease.

However, the focus on Africa seems to have resulted in the US government ignoring the problem at home. African-Americans with HIV ‘are more numerous than in seven of the 15 “target countries” in the Bush administration’s global AIDS initiative, which has spent about $19 billion overseas in the past five years.’

Bush ‘is scheduled to sign a bill today that will extend the program and authorize the spending of $48 billion for the next five years. The target countries consist of 12 in Africa and three others: Guyana, Haiti and Vietnam.’

But he’s not doing much about the domestic HIV problem. This even though the problem is incredibly serious. ‘Two percent of adult black Americans are infected, the government estimates, and only four countries outside Africa have a higher HIV prevalence. It would rank 16th in the world in the number of people living with HIV.’

“The U.S. response to the epidemic in black America stands in sharp contrast to our response to the epidemic overseas,” said Phill Wilson, a longtime AIDS activist who is executive director of the Black AIDS Institute.

Again ironically, ‘also yesterday, the United Nations released its latest synopsis of the global AIDS epidemic, which showed a steady decline in the number of people infected with HIV to 2.7 million last year, from 3 million in 2001. The number of AIDS-related deaths fell from 2.2 million in 2005 to 2 million last year, primarily because of a huge increase in the availability of antiretroviral drug treatment, particularly in Africa.

‘”We’ve achieved more in the fight against AIDS in the last two years than in the preceding 20 years,” said Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, which published the report. But he cautioned that five people were infected for every two people who gained access to treatment. “The gap between those who are in need of treatment and those who have access to treatment is widening.”‘

Focusing on Africa results in ignoring the problems within the United States. Black AIDS activists are now trying to shift the focus somewhat; the problem isn’t just Africa, it also exists in the United States itself. Money and education are desperately needed, they argue. The government would be wise to help its own citizens as well as Africans.