The Brazilian National AIDS Program (NAP) is considered an example for developing countries around the world. The government works closely with NGO’s and support groups and reaches out to all parties involved when it comes to awareness, treatment and prevention. The government not only hands out free Anti-retroviral drugs (ARV’s) to all HIV-positive citizens, it also distributes 45 million condoms each month in schools, favela’s and at big events. The solution for making all this possible: local production!
Worldwide ‘ABC’ is used in HIV campaigns to promote Abstention, Being faithful and using Condoms. In light of World AIDS Day, yesterday, ABC has been heard a lot, but what does it really mean? Which of the three is most important; should you abstain, but if you have sex be faithful and if you’re not faithful use a condom? The problem worldwide with ABC prevention programs is the silent ‘D’- Denial.
When the first case of HIV was discovered in Brazil in 1982 the civil society organisations immediately acted by stimulating the then military government to take action. When democratic reforms began in 1985 the NAP was developed on the basis of social solidarity; everyone needed to be involved, no one would be discriminated against and no religious or moral principles would stand in the way of effective programs to prevent and treat HIV & AIDS.
The Brazilian government committed itself in 1996 to the free distribution of ARV’s. It starting producing the drugs locally at low cost. The US Government dragged the Brazilians to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) with the claim that this was against the protection of intellectual property of the big Pharmaceutical Companies. The WTO, however, considered the protection of public health more important than the wealth of the pharmaceutical companies and ruled in favour of Brazil.
ARV’s are not the only thing Brazil is producing locally; with big prevention and awareness campaigns the biggest roman-catholic country wasn’t shy to distribute free condoms to youth, risk-groups (like prostitutes and gays) and basically anyone who needed one. With a rise from a 4% condom-use-at-first-sexual-contact in 1986 to a 50% in 2007 the free condoms can be called a big success.
So A Brazil Condom? Yes! A lot of them! 45 million are distributed each month, with a peak around Carnival. “ That’s a lot of rubber!” is what the Brazilians must have thought, “There’s a lot of business there”. In 2008 NATEX was the first Brazilian company that produces condoms in the Amazon using rubber from the rainforest trees. Not only does this solution prevent dependence on import, it stimulates local economy and it involves using a product which is widely available and can be obtained without destroying large areas of the rainforest.
In 1990 the World Bank predicted that Brazil would have more than 1.2 milion HIV-cases by 2007. The actual number today is half of that; giving Brazil an infection rate of 0.4%, which equals that of any developed nation.
So, a sustainable condom to help prevent HIV & AIDS in one the largest countries is the world? That’s a much more useful ABC if you ask me!
