Educational Media Reviews Online

It is estimated that 25 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa have AIDS, and that 17 million have died from it in the last 20 years. 6000 people die there from the disease every day! 13 million children in Africa have lost one or both parents to it, and it is very probable that number will increase to 40 million by 2010. The problem of AIDS, especially in Africa, is a seemingly overwhelming one. However, many people in Africa are making valiant efforts to contain this disease and treat those who have it, and in many cases they are succeeding. This film follows Stephen Lewis, the UN's Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa, as he travels the continent to assess and support containment and treatment efforts there.

As Ambassador Lewis travels from Zambia, to Kenya, to Rwanda a number of patterns emerge as regards HIV/AIDS. Many of those who die from the disease are adults in the prime of life, who leave their children to be cared for by grandparents or other relatives. Often times these relatives also die or are unable to provide for the children, so the youths become orphans who have to rely on their communities, or more often themselves, for support. It is not uncommon for children who are not yet in their teens to be caring for themselves as well as several younger siblings. Rates of infection are higher among women then men, due in large part to the patriarchal nature of most of these societies. Women are unable to refuse unprotected sex with their husbands or boyfriends, and they face beatings or worse if they do so. The decreasing number of healthy adults is stifling economic growth, a fact which is debilitating to countries which are already extremely poor.

These trends indicate a situation that is rapidly spiraling out of control, and which too many of us in the western world seems hopeless to correct. Those living in Africa however, do not have the convenience of giving up. They are, on the contrary, fighting back with every resource they have. Across the continent grassroots movements have sprung up, whose aim is to educate the people on HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention, and to care for the sick, dying and orphaned. The use of condoms, as well as sexual abstinence, is encouraged, and efforts are made to acquire the anti-retroviral drugs (ARV's) necessary to treat the afflicted. The latter task is the most difficult as these drugs are usually very expensive, even in the best of circumstances, and are well beyond the ability of most African societies to pay for. That situation may be changing however, thanks to the efforts of AIDS activists both inside and outside Africa. The South African government has moved to buy cheap, generic ARV's from companies that do not hold the patents on them. Although the pharmaceutical manufactures who do hold the patents took legal steps to block this, their attempts failed. International public opinion was strongly on the government’s side, and to avert a public relations disaster the pharmaceutical companies decided to back down. They have since "jumped on the band wagon", and now sell their drugs at generic prices, and even provide some for free! African leaders are also taking steps to deal with HIV/AIDS in Africa, a problem that until recently they largely ignored (because they felt it stigmatized them and their people). This change in attitude was brought about in large part by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan. He has met with several African leaders and encouraged them to confront the issue, and he has also convened a special session of the U.N. to address it. More importantly, he has established an AIDS trust fund for the continent so as to provide the money necessary to deal with the problem. He has given Ambassador Lewis the job of helping to raise money for the fund, of finding out how it can best be spent (much of which will have to go to ARV's), and how to effectively interject it into the continent's antiquated and inefficient health care systems. At present $1.5 billion has been raised, but it is estimated that $7-10 billion will need to be collected for the fund to be effective. With the continued effort of the dedicated people represented in this film, and their supporters around the world, it very well may be. Other encouraging developments are also on the horizon. The WTO (World Health Organization) will allow developing countries to buy cheap, generic ARV's. Soon Nigeria will provide 15,000 of its citizens with these drugs, and Botswana will provide them for all of it people who need them. Signs of hope are everywhere, but there is still much work to be done.

This film provides a compelling look at AIDS in Africa and those who are fighting to defeat it. It moves through its subject matter in a brisk, but still informative way, and its sound and picture qualities are good. Voiceover narration is provided in English, but many interviews (though not all) are in various African languages and are subtitled. Some scenes contain partial nudity.