AIDS in Africa

As document 2 suggests, Multinational Corporations like Coca- Cola do not consider their African workers worthy of adequate health care. The document also states that government leaders believe that providing HIV infected people with health care is not "cost effective." As a result, millions of people with HIV do not receive necessary treatment. In addition to lack of adequate health care, many Africans live in poverty. "Since independence, a number of countries such as Uganda, Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Congo have been weakened and impoverished by political crisis." (Montaginer 220). The decrease in prices of raw materials such as peanuts and coffee have contributed to economic instability. Consequently, many people are forced to leave their families in rural areas in search of work in cities. Often poor, unskilled women leave their families to work as prostitutes. " These migrations, with long periods of separation between reunions undermine family structure and give rise to sexually transmitted diseases. When the migrants return home from the cities, they then spread the infection to the countryside" (Montaginer 220). The use of un-sterilized syringes and needles for injecting vaccines and medicines or for tattooing is another factor that contributes to the rise in AIDS. According to the Diane Richardson, author of Women and AIDS, in poorer areas one needle may be used to inject dozens of people increasing the risk of contracting HIV. To control the spread of AIDS, the economy needs to improve so that migration and prostitution are not necessary and so that everyone receives necessary health care. .
             Ignorance and lack of education also contribute to the rapid spread of AIDS. Although in many African countries governments establish laws to protect the human rights of its people, these laws are inaccessible to populations that are illiterate and have limited education whereas customary law is very accessible.