WHO epidemiologist James Chin over AIDS

WHO epidemiologist James Chin over AIDS
Here still the interview with James Chin in the full text: James Chin, 73, is a professor for clinical epidemiology at the University of Berkeley in California. Until 1992 he was a leading epidemiologist of the global AIDS program of the WHO in Geneva. In February 2007 its book appeared „the AIDS pandemic - the collision of epidemiology and Political Correctness “in the publishing house Radcliffe, Oxford. „HIV is not for us threat “ The US epidemiologist James Chin accuses the AIDS programs of the United Nations of the fearmongering with wrong numbers. Profile: How did you estimate the development of the AIDS epidemic as a responsible expert of the WHO in the 80's? Chin: At that time we waited all for the large wave, the AIDS storm, which would over-drive the world. In the USA however already end of the 80's showed itself clearly that spreading the epidemic to the heterosexual population would not come. Until today this myth again and again gotten out, although there are no facts, which occupy. Profile: How reliably are the data for the actual spreading of HIV and AIDS? Chin: In many countries the portion of the infected ones will have roughly overrated and since 2001 the high numbers mentioned nearly in all countries to be revised. Also in the southern Africa infection rates were reduced by on the average nine per cent according to more exact population-based studies to six to seven per cent. In Kenya the estimations lay with almost 2.5 million infected. Realistic we are now with 1.2 million. Profile: What are the reasons for the fact that the AIDS organizations lay in such a way beside it? Chin: In the course of the time a proper culture of the number combing developed. Most, which are active in this range, have at all no notion, as these data come. Politicians and media do not know until today that the data of UNAIDS, who are responsible for HIV and AIDS in the United Nations, from which established fact situation enormously deviates. They exaggerated the spreading and the extent of the threat without exception. It is amazing that the regional and international authorities accepted these wrong data so far. Profile: High numbers arouse, let the alarm bells ring and finally have also effects on the budgets of the AIDS assistance. Is that not also an intended effect? Chin: Clearly a large role plays. Observe the campaign for example now around India. Here the numbers mentioned of approximately six million concerning are too high equal around the three-way. And in the same extent the UN-programs demanded also equal the increase of their own budget. And they even got the money. And now they hold back the real numbers. It is like that, like if it a child sweets gives, does not get it also more back. Profile: What are the reasons actually for the fact that the heterosexual epidemic was missing at least in the industrialized countries? Chin: We know today that for the propagation of HIV an extremely high level at risk behavior is necessary. Over Sexualkontakt functions only, where the partners are changed daily or at least weekly. In Asia happens over available Sex, in the USA or Europe in the Schwulensaunen and meeting places, where during one night directly several partner contacts take place. We see salient heterosexual propagation actually only in the African countries south Sahara. And here during the last decade clearly it showed up that the cause for it lies in small Sex networks so called. Those are on average three to six humans, who have Sex during a yearly regularly. If now someone clean-brings HIV, the whole group infects itself. Profile: Some billions dollar in the budget of president of Bush „war against AIDS “- program are for publicising of sexual abstention SAMness reserved. That would be therefore a meaningful prevention. Chin: Actually that would be already effective. Abstinenz does not only function to stop. It is the same, as if they say to the people, it is smoking to stop. Most do not adhere to it. Profile: Which role do poverty and miserable living conditions play with the propagation of AIDS? Chin: An indirect. On the one hand humans become naturally faster ill, even if they are still underfed. On the other hand the poverty leads to the fact that many of the Mrs. tightened into the large city Slums, Sex begin like a commodity: to the payment of the rent or the food. That constitutes a part of the mentioned Sex networks. Profile: Where in the western AIDS programs is money powdered, which is missing elsewhere again? Chin: In Europe the expensive campaigns are for the prevention of HIV in the normal population rausgeschmissenes money. Is meaningful only for groups of high risks. With teenagers one should invest dear energies in actions around undesired pregnancies to avoid. That would be a substantially which is worth task, because the HIV risk is infinitesimal small. If one publicises, as in the USA here completely strongly sexual Abstinenz before the marriage, then one will prevent thereby not many HIV cases. Even if the young people adhered real to it. Profile: How highly now is the actual risk for heterosexual to be infected with HIV? Chin: Who has unprotected traffic with changing partners, should rather around syphilis or other sexually transferred diseases concerns make itself, not around HIV.