10th May 2004
It would not be an exaggeration to say that a clash of civilisations is taking place between America and some parts of the world and I don't mean Europe, old or new. I mean between the United States of America and the countries who depend so heavily on their aid.
The first time I visited Washington was as a student in the mid sixties. The massive state buildings set on rolling lawns had much the same effect on me as they were designed to have on visiting foreign leaders. I was staggered by their size and felt very small in the centre of the might of America.
But I did think it was a charming, friendly place and have returned many times over the last forty years, always to a great welcome either from friends or new acquaintances.
At the end of April I was there for three days and despite the beautiful weather and the cherry blossom I was glad to leave. The city has totally changed. There are massive concrete bunkers everywhere, no-go streets, wire netting where there had been lawns and my friends were very depressed about many national and international issues, with reason.
My reason for visiting Washington was to explain to some of those with the real power in the world - the aides of the great ones - that action in Washington regarding women's health was having an adverse effect on the lives of African women. Deputy Pat Carey, vice chair of the Foreign Affairs committee and Deputy Joan Burton were with me. He has visited many developing countries in Africa and South America and she is a former Development Aid Minister and worked in Dar es Salaam university for three years in the 1980's.
The present American Administration had promised huge increases in aid to fight HIV/AIDS in Sub Saharan Africa but because the budget was not signed off until February instead of October there has been a hiatus of some magnitude in the money arriving where it is needed. Also, one could not but feel that if money was not being spent exactly as the givers decided it would not be sent at all. Suggestions that Africans might have some good ideas and plans themselves do not seem to have been considered.
The ABC message is useful and to be promoted. Abstinence is certainly a very sure way of avoiding contracting sexually transmitted HIV infection. However sexual abstinence has not been very successful in America where the abortion rate, whatever about the HIV infection rate, is one of the highest in the world, particularly amongst teenagers. A recent survey found that teenagers who made a pledge to remain virgins until marriage were just as likely to stray as those who did not.
When I was in Uganda some time ago I was particularly impressed by the content of the sex education manuals for teachers. These were pretty explicit and very sensible. For example, children, because teenagers are children, were encouraged not to become sexually active in 5th class, "Why not wait until 7th class?". Then the 7th class lessons encouraged waiting until leaving school, and so on. How to avoid sugar daddies and sugar mummies was addressed too. The Ugandans have managed to raise the age of sexual début, as it is referred to, from fourteen to sixteen in quite a short length of time which would be a useful achievement in many western countries.
Promoting abstinence amongst married adults is another matter altogether. The spread of HIV amongst young married women is the fastest growing field of infection in many parts of the world. Unless condoms are made available for men who are HIV positive to use with their wives she will become infected too. C for condoms is needed where B for Be faithful is past. The rapidly increasing number of families where children are bringing up children, Joan said, was a serious problem in both South Africa and Tanzania which she visited last Christmas. Anything that can help to keep even one parent alive is vital.
Developing countries' policies should be supported. Governments there understand the serious economic effects AIDS is having on their already poverty stricken citizens. Theory abroad is great but practicalities on the ground are more important to the recipients of our largesse.
We have been so lucky in this country to have had the advice of those who worked in Africa or elsewhere, missionaries as well as teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers and so forth when considering how aid money is spent. Everyone here knows someone who has had first hand experience of working in a developing country. This gives us a huge advantage over those who have not. But those who have not may be the people with the most money to give.
One American public representative said to me "President Bush has been to Africa, he knows what it is like". " Forgive me, I doubt if he has seen young African women wearing their sweaters under a heap of blankets dying of AIDS," I replied. "Come and see these people," we said. "We'll go with you."
I'm glad to say the most receptive congresspersons to our invitation were those with Irish surnames. Indeed, congresswoman Betty McCollum is the only non Afro-American on the African committee and she has been there already. But if anti-Americanism due to the Iraq war increases one can understand if they decide to stay home. No one could wish to see them put in any danger.
Senator Mary Henry, MD
