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For Information
about the Latest possible pandemic Click below
Avian Influenza or The Bird Flu
We, the owners of this
site, believe the impact of infectious diseases especially HIV/AIDS and
Hepatitis C will have a profound affect on all of us. For those people
who are positive, they know the stigma or the discrimination, the
difficulty in obtaining health coverage, finding employment or being
terminated from a job because of his/her health status, because of the
lack of awareness and knowledge about these diseases. Truly, what is
happening to those infected people today, those actions will be felt by
all of us-now and in the future.
Willie Nelson
on Hepatitis C
Click Here
A Song of Stigma from Jony Jerusalem (One of the most outspoken AIDS activists in Israel. He has
documented his battle with the illness on Web sites and through Internet
forums and has lectured in schools.)
A very good audio concerning Hepatitis C from the BBC
Llama Lashes and Grumpy Old Gits approximately 45 minutes
UK Hepatitis C Forum http://www.hepcukforum.org
We, believe /know that infectious
diseases are going to have a devastating effect on civilized society.
Everyone is going to feel the impact and experience the changes that are
altering the way society is structured. The link buttons on the left
side will direct the reader to articles, research reports, business
reports, and governmental reports that show the changes occurring,
today. Education is about the desire to learn what is occurring with the
use of this information.
"Let society deny the existence of
these diseases-because the government does not want to cause a panic;
let religious zealots preach that by accepting
my religious doctrine-that
you will be protected against infection; let businesses only accept the
short-term goal of profits-when the long-term outcome of these diseases
will be the downfall of these same institutions. The death of one
individual may be a tragedy for his/her immediate family, the deaths of
millions will have serious consequences for society.
My own wife became infected in the work environment, denied any type of
compensation or concern by society (her behavior was the cause of her
disease and she/(us) must bear the consequences of her action-she chose
to become infected-she worked in a high-risk occupation). We have
lost employment opportunities, friends, and health benefits because of
this disease. All of this without any recourse because of her
choice. We can live in a world of denial-that it will only happen
to someone else; when in fact, as the rate of infections increases, the
likelihood will be that you too will join this
select group of outcasts. The choice of society
is either to pay-now or pay-later. Therefore, let us educate our
citizens with factual information-it is far cheaper to educate than it
is to treat. The choice is yours." James A Wright,
2001
Several decades ago,
a major psychological theory was presented to the world. It was
called: "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs."
Maslow’s concept was that each
individual has specific needs or desires that must be met before he can
continue on with the next need. Body/physiological needs are the very basic
needs such as air, water, food, sleep, sex, etc. When these are not
satisfied we may feel sickness, irritation, pain, discomfort, etc. These
feelings motivate us to alleviate them as soon as possible: air to
breathe, water to relieve thirst, food to stop starvation, etc.
Security/safety
needs have to do with establishing stability and consistency in a
chaotic world. These needs are mostly psychological in nature. We need
the security of a home and family. Many in our society cry out for law
and order because they do not feel safe enough to go for a walk in their
neighborhood. One of the main functions of governments is to protect
its citizens from threats. Many people, particularly those in the inner
cities, unfortunately, are stuck at this level. In addition, safety
needs sometimes motivate people to be religious. Religions comfort us
with the promise of a safe secure place after we die and leave the
insecurity of this world. Infectious diseases strike at this safety
issue. Because of fear of infection, people do not generally associate
with someone who is ill. Many times those with a disease are ostracized
from a community—leprosy was such a disease. Laws are created to
protect society from those infected or thought to be different.
Diseases have changed society
throughout history, The Black Death during the Middle Ages where
at least 25% of the total population of Europe died with The Plague.
European society was shaken to its core, governments collapsed; Jews
were thought to be the carriers of the disease since they did not
succumb to the illness like others. (Jews believed in daily hygiene.)
And they were discriminated against and feared by others because they
were considered so different from the normal culture.
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The war on drugs must end.
Help us to declare peace.
European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug
Policies
Lange Lozanastraat 14
B - 2018 Antwerpen
Tel. + 32 495 122 644
E-mail:
info@encod.org
www.encod.org |
Today, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis are
seen by many people as the latest “leprosy.” The disease of the
ungodly, OR a disease of a persons poor choices in life; and
because of that belief, they should pay for their own mistakes. Many
Faith-based groups use the fear of either disease as a marketing tool in
order to bring in more converts to their specific organization as an
attempt to provide a comfort factor from infestation. “Believe with us,
and you won’t become infected, follow our rules and you will be safe.”
"Reagan could have
chosen to end the homophobic rhetoric that flowed from so many
in his administration. Dr. C. Everett Koop, Reagan's surgeon
general, has said that because of "intradepartmental politics"
he was cut out of all AIDS discussions for the first five years
of the Reagan administration. The reason, he explained, was
"because transmission of AIDS was understood to be primarily in
the homosexual population and in those who abused intravenous
drugs." The president's advisers, Koop said, "took the stand,
'They are only getting what they justly deserve.' "
Reagan's AIDS Legacy Silence
equals death
Advocacy results when knowledgeable
people voice their concerns about the future. Change then occurs. One of
the unique challenges that HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis reveals is how much
society is intertwined within a country or a country within the world
community. What happens in Southern Africa will impact those living in
North America. As this cartoon shows, by saving money for one agency,
another pays.
The concerns about our future can
only come about by becoming involved and by believing that your voice
can make a difference. As shown by this recent letter/petition to the
President of the United States concerning the restrictions that will
preclude programs from using the best practices to prevent HIV/AIDS
among sex workers and trafficked individuals and promote the fundamental
human rights of all persons.
Change will occur because of
infectious diseases-whether people become involved in these issues or
not. Time is running out and time is not our friend. The domino effect
throughout a society when large portions of its citizens are stricken by
illness is substantial. Changes are occurring today, because of HIV/AIDS
and Hepatitis. With Education, and Advocacy, positive change occurs. By
voicing your concerns -change occurs.
This is by no means a medical site.
Any information pertaining to HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis regarding
treatment, medications, alternative medicines etc, are for informational
purposes only. For health care questions we ask that you please contact
your physician.
We are also not a political site even
though there are many issues regarding social changes, legislation which
are deeply intertwined with political leanings and the influence of
special interest groups. There are no good or bad sides of an issue,
just the strong desire to show all points of view and how they affect us
all.
Accurate information is and always
will be the first line of defense against HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis.
Education cannot be stressed enough. It must be available before any
change can happen. Education about the causes and effects of infectious
diseases is far cheaper than the cost of medical treatment.
The contents of this site are a data
reserve of research reports, governmental reports and business reports
on the various issues of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis (primarily Hepatitis C).
There are no opinions offer by the owners (except on this page)-the
wealth of information presented here is the corner stone of this site:
from the Financial Issues (Economic concerns)-how AIDS and Hepatitis are
changing the social and economic fabric of society; Stigma-the first
obstacle of any newly emergent disease, to providing math models that
can be used to predict the course and costs of infectious diseases. Each
main folder contains 100's of reports. The information provided here is
the most up-to-date source of information about these diseases and the
implications that they are having on all of us, now and in the future.
Many only investigate the medical costs of these diseases, but there is
a far greater cost to society that these diseases create.
Our Story
These two
tables show this interdependence that all of us share.
Economic Impact of Infectious diseases
(Primarily HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Hepatitis): A Vicious cycle
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Effects of
diseases on Development |
Impact on Sectors and Businesses |
Impact on
Households |
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Loss in output,
profitability & Productivity |
Loss of manpower |
Increase in
poverty in affected communities and households |
MORBIDITY |
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DECLINE OF
GDP GROWTH RATE |
Changes in
resource allocation |
Deepening of management crisis in development sectors (Agri,
Educ, Health) |
Lack of
investment in children |
DISEASES |
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Reduction in
saving and investment |
Budget constraints and reallocation |
Increase in
dependency burden |
MORTALITY |
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Increase in
demand of social services |
Change in nature of services |
Disruption of
family structure |
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The Impact of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C
on Traditional Coping Mechanisms within a family
from "AN INTRODUCTION TO HIV/AIDS"
-The World Bank
The magnitude of a society’s social safety nets will be the
critical point on the effects of these diseases: less of these nets -
the greater the impact on society, more of those resources - less the
influence the diseases will have within that culture.
"When you have written to The President, Congress, Your Senator and
nothing comes of it,
YOU TAKE IT TO THE STREETS."
"Conditions in society which
are not defined as a problem and for which alternatives are never
proposed, never become policy issues. Government does nothing and
conditions remain the same." T.R.Dye, Policy Analyst
WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
This is not a political site; however,
people who are positive represent a significant voting block. Political
parties are very aware of this fact. If those people who have felt the
sting from these diseases would unify in their concerns-change would
occur.
This site represents the efforts of a
group of volunteers who have donated their time and efforts to make this
information available to you.
We have made a difference and so can
you.
Become involved.
Click on a topic for an extensive list
of articles (currently there are over 5,000 different report and
research information available):
Alternative Treatments,
Financial (Socio-economic),
Health Insurance,
Hepatitis,
HIV/AIDS,
Institutional Issues (Mental &
Corrections),
International,
Legal,
Math Models,
Medical,
New Material,
Our Sponsors,
Occupational (Exposure in Work
Place),
Our Board,
State Governments,
Religion and infectious diseases,
Stigma/discrimination and infectious diseases
FAIR USE NOTICE: This
site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been
specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such
material available in our efforts to advance understanding of
environmental, health, political, human rights, economic, democracy,
scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes
a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section
107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C.
Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to
those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included
information for research and educational purposes..
For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.
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This website is dedicated to
my wife, whose belief in this organization and the understanding
that through education, understanding about infectious diseases,
changes people's perception towards those who are positive.
And that this change assists those infected in a positive way.
For this support I am truly grateful and thankful that I married her
and love her still, for all these years. JEH |
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