With over 25 million dead, AIDS has pounced on the world like a medieval plague, ranking among the greatest killers in history. Despite billions of international aid dollars, the development of effective medical treatments for HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), and the efficacy of condoms in preventing the spread of HIV during sex, 6,000 people are dying daily, and over 15 million orphans have been left behind. Perhaps most surprisingly, many educated westerners are only vaguely aware of AIDS as a disease threatening gays or Africans, and do not believe it has any relevance for them. Few have noticed the “feminization” of AIDS, taking AIDS from a disease primarily infecting gay men to one infecting more women than men. Women are at the forefront of the fight against AIDS in many parts of the world, nowhere more so than in Sub-Saharan Africa. The authors of this book make a clear case that HIV and AIDS form the most critical crisis facing the human race in this century by providing the reader a deeper understanding of the root causes of, and plausible solutions for, the AIDS pandemic. They include several engaging human-interest stories of real people impacted by AIDS.

Table Of Contents

Part I: What Is AIDS and Why Should I Care?

Chapter 1: Nikiwe’s Story: Why AIDS Is the Global Challenge of the 21st Century
Chapter 2: Sinikithemba: What Exactly Are HIV and AIDS?
Chapter 3: Say No to Sugar Daddies: From Rare Infections to Global Pandemic

Part II: AIDS Trumps Foreign Aid

Chapter 4: Life and Death in Zimbabwe: Why AIDS Is Easy to Solve—On Paper
Chapter 5: But for the Grace of PEPFAR: The World Heard and Responded
Chapter 6: Mama Africa’s Burden: The Limitations of Money

Part III: How AIDS Can Be Defeated With Your Help

Chapter 7: Bophelong Hospice: Some Things That Actually Work
Chapter 8: The Softer Side of Capitalism: A Suggested Path Forward
Chapter 9: Use What You Have: How You Can Play a Part in Defeating AIDS

Excerpts from the foreword to the book, written by Dr. Helga Holst, CEO of McCord Hospital in Durban, South Africa, are given below:

It was in Boston, on February 10, 2003, that the Sinikithemba Choir from Durban, South Africa, performed at the opening of the Tenth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), and shared the stage with the keynote speaker, President Bill Clinton. This Zulu choir of HIV positive men and women were part of a much larger group of mostly infected women, who worked together at McCord Hospital on beadwork projects to support their medical care, and who sang as they worked. They used what they had, their powerful and beautiful voices, to bring hope, unity and resources to their communities. One of the choir members, a beautiful and eloquent young woman, shared the poignant story of her own journey with AIDS, and brought tears to the eyes of many of the world’s top scientists, researchers and clinicians as they were reminded of why they had committed their lives to finding the answers to this devastating disease. She shared what she had, her own story, and it impacted the hearts of thousands!

By the time I took up the position of Medical Superintendent at McCord Hospital in Durban, in 1993, AIDS was more common, but there was still no affordable treatment available. In the mid 1990’s we started several social support programs, of which the income generating beadwork projects were one. Social clubs, consisting mostly of women, were formed. They supported each other through times of hardship, illness and death, and cared for the children. The Zulu people, amongst whom we work, have been gifted by the most beautiful voices. The women would often sit in the parking areas at the hospital between the cars with their hands speedily busy on beadwork orders, chatting and laughing, while keeping a watchful eye on the children. Not infrequently they would burst out into rousing songs, and stand up to clap, and dance. The highlight for many of our visitors was the story of this group of women and their incredible singing.

Dr Bruce Walker, Director of the Division of AIDS at Harvard Medical School, was one of the visitors to McCord Hospital in 2002, whose life was irrevocably changed. He tells the story of entering a crowded room filled with patients, many of whom he could see were in the late stages of AIDS, and whom he knew would not be alive much longer. And then they started singing, and the music of hope and powerful complex harmonies filled the room, and captured his heart. This remarkable scientist has since spoken at a myriad of events, and touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, from Presidents to philanthropists to researchers to high school students. He took what he had, his own gifting, position and passion, and has inspired thousands across the world to do what they can, wherever they are, to make a difference, in turning this terrible pandemic around.

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was introduced in 2002 and remains the single largest international AIDS program in history. Through our relationship with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), McCord Hospital was privileged to be amongst one of the first South African organizations to be a recipient of PEPFAR funding in early 2004. The fledgling Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) program at the hospital rapidly grew from 300 self funded patients on ART in February 2004, to more than 6500 patients who had been started on ART by May 2009, with more than 16,500 having enrolled in the hospital’s comprehensive HIV programs.

Towards the end of 2005, a request came from the White House for one of the families who were beneficiaries of the PEPFAR program to attend President Bush’s World AIDS Day address. I was privileged to accompany the family, a young mother and her 5 year old daughter and 4 year old son, and to meet the President in the Oval Office. It was a deeply touching moment when he stooped down to speak with the children, to give them each a pen with the Presidential logo, saying, “This is for you to remember this day when you are in College”. He used what he had at the time, and spoke hope and a future into their young lives.

When Roger Hoerl and Presha Neidermeyer visited McCord Hospital, it was evident that they came to learn and to listen with both their heads and their hearts. They had prepared very well, and had already spoken with many people who are living with the virus, and who are directly impacted by HIV and AIDS, in different countries. They came with no answers, but they came with receptive minds to learn from people with personal experiences with this disease, people who have struggled and who have succeeded in making a difference.

I am greatly humbled and honored to have been asked to write the forward to this important, thoughtful and very practical book. People matter to God, and they should matter to us. This book draws the reader deeper into the complexities of the AIDS pandemic, and its impact not just on individuals but on the global family of which we are all a part. And it offers wise possible solutions for involvement, at individual, corporate and national levels. It brings hope that answers lie in our own hands, even now, if we use what we have, our resources, our opportunities, ourselves. As President Obama so inspiringly says, “Together, we can.”

Dr Helga Holst
CEO, McCord Hospital
Durban, South Africa

With over 25 million dead, AIDS has pounced on the world like a medieval plague, ranking among the greatest killers in history. Despite billions of international aid dollars, the development of effective medical treatments for HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), and the efficacy of condoms in preventing the spread of HIV during sex, 6,000 people are dying daily, and over 15 million orphans have been left behind. Perhaps most surprisingly, many educated westerners are only vaguely aware of AIDS as a disease threatening gays or Africans, and do not believe it has any relevance for them. Few have noticed the “feminization” of AIDS, taking AIDS from a disease primarily infecting gay men to one infecting more women than men. Women are at the forefront of the fight against AIDS in many parts of the world, nowhere more so than in Sub-Saharan Africa. The authors of this book make a clear case that HIV and AIDS form the most critical crisis facing the human race in this century by providing the reader a deeper understanding of the root causes of, and plausible solutions for, the AIDS pandemic. They include several engaging human-interest stories of real people impacted by AIDS.

Table Of Contents

Part I: What Is AIDS and Why Should I Care?

Chapter 1: Nikiwe’s Story: Why AIDS Is the Global Challenge of the 21st Century
Chapter 2: Sinikithemba: What Exactly Are HIV and AIDS?
Chapter 3: Say No to Sugar Daddies: From Rare Infections to Global Pandemic

Part II: AIDS Trumps Foreign Aid

Chapter 4: Life and Death in Zimbabwe: Why AIDS Is Easy to Solve—On Paper
Chapter 5: But for the Grace of PEPFAR: The World Heard and Responded
Chapter 6: Mama Africa’s Burden: The Limitations of Money

Part III: How AIDS Can Be Defeated With Your Help

Chapter 7: Bophelong Hospice: Some Things That Actually Work
Chapter 8: The Softer Side of Capitalism: A Suggested Path Forward
Chapter 9: Use What You Have: How You Can Play a Part in Defeating AIDS

Excerpts from the foreword to the book, written by Dr. Helga Holst, CEO of McCord Hospital in Durban, South Africa, are given below:

It was in Boston, on February 10, 2003, that the Sinikithemba Choir from Durban, South Africa, performed at the opening of the Tenth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), and shared the stage with the keynote speaker, President Bill Clinton. This Zulu choir of HIV positive men and women were part of a much larger group of mostly infected women, who worked together at McCord Hospital on beadwork projects to support their medical care, and who sang as they worked. They used what they had, their powerful and beautiful voices, to bring hope, unity and resources to their communities. One of the choir members, a beautiful and eloquent young woman, shared the poignant story of her own journey with AIDS, and brought tears to the eyes of many of the world’s top scientists, researchers and clinicians as they were reminded of why they had committed their lives to finding the answers to this devastating disease. She shared what she had, her own story, and it impacted the hearts of thousands!

By the time I took up the position of Medical Superintendent at McCord Hospital in Durban, in 1993, AIDS was more common, but there was still no affordable treatment available. In the mid 1990’s we started several social support programs, of which the income generating beadwork projects were one. Social clubs, consisting mostly of women, were formed. They supported each other through times of hardship, illness and death, and cared for the children. The Zulu people, amongst whom we work, have been gifted by the most beautiful voices. The women would often sit in the parking areas at the hospital between the cars with their hands speedily busy on beadwork orders, chatting and laughing, while keeping a watchful eye on the children. Not infrequently they would burst out into rousing songs, and stand up to clap, and dance. The highlight for many of our visitors was the story of this group of women and their incredible singing.

Dr Bruce Walker, Director of the Division of AIDS at Harvard Medical School, was one of the visitors to McCord Hospital in 2002, whose life was irrevocably changed. He tells the story of entering a crowded room filled with patients, many of whom he could see were in the late stages of AIDS, and whom he knew would not be alive much longer. And then they started singing, and the music of hope and powerful complex harmonies filled the room, and captured his heart. This remarkable scientist has since spoken at a myriad of events, and touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, from Presidents to philanthropists to researchers to high school students. He took what he had, his own gifting, position and passion, and has inspired thousands across the world to do what they can, wherever they are, to make a difference, in turning this terrible pandemic around.

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was introduced in 2002 and remains the single largest international AIDS program in history. Through our relationship with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), McCord Hospital was privileged to be amongst one of the first South African organizations to be a recipient of PEPFAR funding in early 2004. The fledgling Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) program at the hospital rapidly grew from 300 self funded patients on ART in February 2004, to more than 6500 patients who had been started on ART by May 2009, with more than 16,500 having enrolled in the hospital’s comprehensive HIV programs.

Towards the end of 2005, a request came from the White House for one of the families who were beneficiaries of the PEPFAR program to attend President Bush’s World AIDS Day address. I was privileged to accompany the family, a young mother and her 5 year old daughter and 4 year old son, and to meet the President in the Oval Office. It was a deeply touching moment when he stooped down to speak with the children, to give them each a pen with the Presidential logo, saying, “This is for you to remember this day when you are in College”. He used what he had at the time, and spoke hope and a future into their young lives.

When Roger Hoerl and Presha Neidermeyer visited McCord Hospital, it was evident that they came to learn and to listen with both their heads and their hearts. They had prepared very well, and had already spoken with many people who are living with the virus, and who are directly impacted by HIV and AIDS, in different countries. They came with no answers, but they came with receptive minds to learn from people with personal experiences with this disease, people who have struggled and who have succeeded in making a difference.

I am greatly humbled and honored to have been asked to write the forward to this important, thoughtful and very practical book. People matter to God, and they should matter to us. This book draws the reader deeper into the complexities of the AIDS pandemic, and its impact not just on individuals but on the global family of which we are all a part. And it offers wise possible solutions for involvement, at individual, corporate and national levels. It brings hope that answers lie in our own hands, even now, if we use what we have, our resources, our opportunities, ourselves. As President Obama so inspiringly says, “Together, we can.”

Dr Helga Holst
CEO, McCord Hospital
Durban, South Africa

Ever since I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987 at the young age of seventeen, I had to learn to “depend” on others instead of being “Ms. Independent.” I would have never gotten through my exacerbations (attacks) as easily if it weren’t for my courageous, strong, and inspiring mom, Georgia, who helped me get through day-to-day life with the simple things we all take for granted in our lives. I remember back when I was in high school, thinking I was really heavy. All the kids used to laugh at me and call me names like “thunder thighs,” “lard ass,” “big ass” . . . you name it, they called me it. I was embarrassed when it was PE time, I didn’t want to put those skimpy little shorts on, you know the ones back in the ’80s that barely covered your butt cheeks. My thighs stuck out a mile, and I tried covering them up by tying a jacket or shirt around my waste so it would hang over my thighs. I couldn’t run easily because of my weight and asthma. The other kids used to tease me and laugh at me, and I felt like such an outcast. I hated being me. I hated the fact I inherited the “fat” gene and that no matter what new diet I tried, I would lose a few pounds and put it right back on, plus some. During my “honeymoon” period (first six months after surgery) I had to learn a new eating “lifestyle.” It was definitely a learning process, that’s for sure. Once I was able to eat solid foods, I had to try different things to see what my new pouch would tolerate. My surgeons warned me that certain foods might cause “dumping,” which is rapid gastric emptying, also known as dumping syndrome. The total weight I actually lost was 155 pounds! Researchers are finding that 30 percent of weight loss surgery patients have stopped overeating but wind up acquiring a new compulsive disorder such as alcoholism, gambling addiction, compulsive shopping, drugs, promiscuity, or started smoking. Some psychologists describe it as a type of “addiction transfer,” an outcome of substance-abuse treatment where the patient swaps one compulsive behavior for another. The behavior has long been explained as a psychological phenomenon as patients seek new strategies for filling an inner void. Within one month of me having gastric bypass surgery, my endocrinologist asked me to come in for testing for the lumps in my neck. He referred me to a specialist who will conduct biopsies. When I went in to see my endo, she informed me that I have thyroid cancer (malignant) and I will have to have a surgery called a total thyroidectomy. On August 3, I saw my hematologist. He went over my blood work and informed me that my blood levels are low and that a blood transfusion would help me feel better. I would notice a difference within two to three days. He also told me my iron levels were extremely low and I will need to have Iron Infusions every day for the first week, then weekly. Then as time goes by, he’ll adjust how often I get the iron (based on my weekly lab results). My B-12 levels were also extremely low, so I will start B-12 shots weekly at first then go to monthly thereafter.