What are some things that should be done to further limit the AIDS epidemic in Africa?

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It is not at all clear that there is anything that can be done about the AIDS epidemic in Africa that is not already being done.  I would argue that the most likely way to effectively combat the problem would be to succeed in making the people of Africa better-off economically.  This, of course, is not something that can be changed overnight.

There are so many things that are already being done to try to limit the AIDS epidemic in Africa.  There are all kinds of public health programs and educational programs that are being put on by various countries, by non-governmental organizations, and by international groups like the UN.  There are so many of these that there is some concern that people are becoming tired of hearing about the whole issue.

If education is not working, or is not working completely enough, the only thing left to do is to change people’s attitudes.  There is no way to force people to change their views on sex and AIDS.  However, it may be possible to change their values by changing their life circumstances.  If Africans were to become better-off, with more of them entering the middle class, they might be more receptive to ideas like the use of condoms and like reducing sexual promiscuity. 

Since education is being tried extensively in Africa and has not solved the problem, I would argue that economic development is the best way to further limit AIDS in Africa. 


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