Overview

This is not another book about how AIDS is out of control in Africa and Third World nations, or one complaining about the inadequacy of secured funds to fight the pandemic. The author looks objectively at countries that have succeeded in reducing HIV infection rates…along with a worrisome flip side to the progress. The largely medical solutions funded by major donors have had little impact in Africa, the continent hardest hit by AIDS. Instead, relatively simple, low-cost behavioral change programs—stressing increased monogamy and delayed sexual activity for young people—have made the greatest headway in fighting or preventing the disease's spread. Ugandans pioneered these simple, sustainable interventions and achieved significant results. As National Review journalist Rod Dreher put it, Rather than pay for clinics, gadgets and medical procedures—especially in the important earlier years of its response to the epidemic—Uganda mobilized human resources. In a New York Times interview, Green cited evidence that partner reduction, promoted as mutual faithfulness, is the single most effective way of reducing the spread of AIDS. That deceptively simple solution is not merely about medical advances or condom use. It is about the ABC model: Abstain, Be faithful, and use Condoms if A and B are impossible. Yet deeply rooted Western biases have obstructed the effectiveness of AIDS prevention. Many Western scientists have attacked the ABC approach as impossible and moralistic. Some Western activists and HIV carriers have been outraged, thinking the approach passes moral judgment on their behaviors. But there is also a troubling suspicion among a growing number of scientists who support the ABC model that certain opponents may simply be AIDS profiteers, more interested in protecting their incomes than battling the disease. This book is a bellwether in the escalating controversy, offering persuasive evidence in support of the ABC approach and exposing the fallacies and motivations of its opponents.

Full Product Details

Author:   Edward C. Green
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint:   Praeger Publishers Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 23.50cm , Height: 3.50cm , Length: 15.50cm
Weight:   0.744kg
ISBN:  

9780865693166

ISBN 10:   0865693161
Pages:   392
Publication Date:   30 November 2003
Recommended Age:   From 7 to 17 years
Audience:   General/trade ,  Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  General ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Reviews

Green's Rethinking AIDS throws out the bath water but rescues the baby. He refuses to reject recommendations of abstinence and fidelity from religious conservatives simply because they come from this source. The world has been slow to catch on that the successful Uganda AIDS story is about abstinence, fidelity and for others, reducing dramatically their number of sexual partners. These are powerful epidemiologic strategies and once again, Green is a pioneer in bringing the story to a wide audience. -Elaine M. Murphy, Ph.D. Professor of Global Health George Washington University School of Public Health

A truly remarkable book. If heeded it will save numerous lives. Honest to a fault. Well documented. Powerfully written. A credit to social science and policy analysis. -Amitai Etzioni Author of My Brother's Keeper Green's book is incredible. The author has done such a first rate job of putting data together in a logical and convincing way that I think it will impact AIDS prevention initiatives worldwide. As one who has written several books I know the hard work and agony that went into what the author has done. A job well done. -Joe McIlhaney, MD, Chairman, The Medical Institute author of 1001 Healthcare Questions Women Ask Green's Rethinking AIDS throws out the bath water but rescues the baby. He refuses to reject recommendations of abstinence and fidelity from religious conservatives simply because they come from this source. The world has been slow to catch on that the successful Uganda AIDS story is about abstinence, fidelity and for others, reducing dramatically their number of sexual partners. These are powerful epidemiologic strategies and once again, Green is a pioneer in bringing the story to a wide audience. -Elaine M. Murphy, Ph.D. Professor of Global Health George Washington University School of Public Health In Rethinking AIDS Prevention, Ted Green shares with the reader his vast experiences in the study of sexual behavior, and argues a convincing case for fundamental sexual behavior change as the cornerstone for reducing HIV infections. This is compelling reading for all. -Dr. Vinand Nantulya Senior Advisor to the Executive Director The Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Rethinking AIDS Prevention is a readable but compelling account of how Uganda turned back its AIDS epidemic. It's a must-read for professionals and lay audiences who want to learn how and why the ABC approach to AIDS prevention works. -Tom Merrick The World Bank Institute Ted Green argues with evidence and experience for an AIDS prevention paradigm in Africa based on primary behavior change the ABC approach: abstinence, be faithful, and if not, use condoms. He shows that this approach works, as demonstrated by the case of Uganda, through locally driven, culturally appropriate, and politically acceptable strategies. Green's book challenges simple-minded approaches to AIDS prevention: it is essential reading for anyone seriously concerned about AIDS control in Africa. -Dr. Michael R. Reich Director, Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies The implications of Edward C. Green's research are profound for global health policy in the midst of this, the greatest pandemic of all time. Shouldn't Africans have access to ALL of the facts about AIDS education and prevention? Green's analysis, demonstrating the efficacy of emphasizing abstinence and partner reduction, with condoms playing a secondary role (ABC), if heeded, might just save millions of lives over the next ten years. -Rich Stearns President, World Vision United States While the religious right just say no and the traditional left just says condoms the numbers of people dying from AIDS grows exponentially. Green's approach, based on his in depth analysis of the evidence from Uganda and elsewhere, is a refreshing and important challenge to rethink what really works in stemming this worldwide epidemic. -Dr. Marc Mitchell Harvard School of Public Health This is an important book that deserves to be widely read and pondered. It is important both because the AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa is an ongoing tragedy of colossal magnitude and because Edward Green is a member of President Bush's Advisory Commitee on HIV/AIDS at a time when the president has committed the United States to spending $15 billion on the fight against AIDS, much of this sum in Africa to facilitate the work of faith-based organizations..,. .Green's book is llikely to be the major intellectual input into that policy, hence it's arguments should be taken very seriously. -Population and Development Review ?[F]orceful, but controversial, arguments for faith-based initiatives....General readers; graduate students and above.?-Choice ?[G]reen presents excellent evidence of the inadequacies of condom campaigns in Africa and successes of PBC in developing countries around the world....a compelling argument for both the health behavior specialist and the layperson in search of an alternative take on the behavioral potential to overcome high rates of HIV transmission. He mixes academic research with international articles and profiles in order to present a colorful, informative account of a topic too many other authors paint in redundant shades.?-African Studies Quarterly ?For 20 years, American and international policymakers have emphasized condom use to prevent AIDS transmission. Now, Edward Green, who is a senior research scientist at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, is asking health officials to rethink that approach, particularly in programs targeted at African countries where AIDS is rampant.?-Harvard Chapter of NOW ?Green's book persuasively argues for making faith-based organizations (FBOs) central to the worldwide assault on HIV/AIDS. Green argues that Western health agencies' largely antagonistic attitude toward religious organizations is counterproductive, particularly in areas where religious organizations have long been the most influential institutions around....Coming from a liberal Harvard research scientist, this approach to the world's worst pandemic may appear novel, but it's far from fiction, it's abundantly educational, it's practical, and it's truly engaging reading for a topic that could have been bogged down by culturally sensitivities and academic esotericism.?-Focus on Family ?If Green's analysis is correct, we are faced with a troubling paradox: while our technologically sophisticated system often operates at the margin of acceptable cost efficacy, halfway around the world, secular bias and biomedical fiscal power are responsible for discouraging and discrediting simple yet effective solutions, at the cost of millions of lives.?-JAMA The Journal of the American Medical Association ?Long before the AIDS crisis, international health agencies were largely dedicated to distributing health-related commodities, including vaccines, antibiotics and contraceptives, in poor countries all over the world. This approach was rapidly embraced to deal with AIDS. But condoms were not commonly used in Africa, and people have been slow to adopt them. If only these experts properly understood African culture and indigenous concepts of sexuality, disease, danger and death, Green argues, the power of the Ugandan Zero Grazing campaign might have been recognized years ago.?-The New York Times ?Rethinking AIDS Prevention is a brave book, critical yet hopeful, aiming to put HIV prevention firmly back on the global agenda. It has achieved this in record time by providing analysis that appeals to both sides of the political spectrum, with a genuine interest in Africa.?-The Lancet ?The most important audience for this book is the Bush administration, which has pledged to spend $15 billion on AIDS prevention in Africa and the Caribbean, and which is now being prodded to hand over billions of this sum to the multinational AIDS establishment so thoroughly exposed in this book. If the administration heeds Green's message, it will not assume that the experts are experts, will not assume that the basic facts they cite are facts, and will not assume their good ill or even truthfulness. Africans will be better off for it. There is hope that this message will resonate.?-National Review ?This is a book that tries to focus on those successes in AIDS prevention rather than the failures, even though the successes may not be as dramatic as one would hope in this stage of the pandemic. It is these successes that others in less developed countries can learn and hopefully be successful in their prevention efforts. The focus of this book is on heterosexual transmission of HIV in less-developed countries and on just sexually transmitted AIDS. Based on the findings that are reported in the book, it is reasonable that prevention programs should follow the ABCs: Abstain, Be faithful, or use Condoms if you cannot follow A or B. It is the C that is stressed the most with little resources going into A and B. More recently, the dependence on D (Drugs) has become the norm, resulting in the total disregard of A, B, and C....This is an excellent book that should be in all academic libraries.?-Aids Book Review Journal ?This is an important book that deserves to be widely read and pondered. It is important both because the AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa is an ongoing tragedy of colossal magnitude and because Edward Green is a member of President Bush's Advisory Commitee on HIV/AIDS at a time when the president has committed the United States to spending $15 billion on the fight against AIDS, much of this sum in Africa to facilitate the work of faith-based organizations..,. .Green's book is llikely to be the major intellectual input into that policy, hence it's arguments should be taken very seriously.?-Population and Development Review ?This is not another book about how AIDS is out of control in Africa and Third World nations, or on complaining about the inadequacy of secured funds to fight the pandemic. The author looks objectively at countries that have succeeded in reducing HIV infection rates....along with a worrisome flip side to the progress....This book is a bellwether in the escalating controversy, offering persuasive evidence in support of the ABC approach and exposing the fallacies and motivations of its opponents.?-Global Health Council YForceful, but controversial, arguments for faith-based initiatives....General readers; graduate students and above. -Choice YGreen presents excellent evidence of the inadequacies of condom campaigns in Africa and successes of PBC in developing countries around the world....a compelling argument for both the health behavior specialist and the layperson in search of an alternative take on the behavioral potential to overcome high rates of HIV transmission. He mixes academic research with international articles and profiles in order to present a colorful, informative account of a topic too many other authors paint in redundant shades. -African Studies Quarterly This is not another book about how AIDS is out of control in Africa and Third World nations, or on complaining about the inadequacy of secured funds to fight the pandemic. The author looks objectively at countries that have succeeded in reducing HIV infection rates....along with a worrisome flip side to the progress....This book is a bellwether in the escalating controversy, offering persuasive evidence in support of the ABC approach and exposing the fallacies and motivations of its opponents. -Global Health Council [F]orceful, but controversial, arguments for faith-based initiatives....General readers; graduate students and above. -Choice [G]reen presents excellent evidence of the inadequacies of condom campaigns in Africa and successes of PBC in developing countries around the world....a compelling argument for both the health behavior specialist and the layperson in search of an alternative take on the behavioral potential to overcome high rates of HIV transmission. He mixes academic research with international articles and profiles in order to present a colorful, informative account of a topic too many other authors paint in redundant shades. -African Studies Quarterly For 20 years, American and international policymakers have emphasized condom use to prevent AIDS transmission. Now, Edward Green, who is a senior research scientist at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, is asking health officials to rethink that approach, particularly in programs targeted at African countries where AIDS is rampant. -Harvard Chapter of NOW Green's book persuasively argues for making faith-based organizations (FBOs) central to the worldwide assault on HIV/AIDS. Green argues that Western health agencies' largely antagonistic attitude toward religious organizations is counterproductive, particularly in areas where religious organizations have long been the most influential institutions around....Coming from a liberal Harvard research scientist, this approach to the world's worst pandemic may appear novel, but it's far from fiction, it's abundantly educational, it's practical, and it's truly engaging reading for a topic that could have been bogged down by culturally sensitivities and academic esotericism. -Focus on Family If Green's analysis is correct, we are faced with a troubling paradox: while our technologically sophisticated system often operates at the margin of acceptable cost efficacy, halfway around the world, secular bias and biomedical fiscal power are responsible for discouraging and discrediting simple yet effective solutions, at the cost of millions of lives. -JAMA The Journal of the American Medical Association Long before the AIDS crisis, international health agencies were largely dedicated to distributing health-related commodities, including vaccines, antibiotics and contraceptives, in poor countries all over the world. This approach was rapidly embraced to deal with AIDS. But condoms were not commonly used in Africa, and people have been slow to adopt them. If only these experts properly understood African culture and indigenous concepts of sexuality, disease, danger and death, Green argues, the power of the Ugandan Zero Grazing campaign might have been recognized years ago. -The New York Times Rethinking AIDS Prevention is a brave book, critical yet hopeful, aiming to put HIV prevention firmly back on the global agenda. It has achieved this in record time by providing analysis that appeals to both sides of the political spectrum, with a genuine interest in Africa. -The Lancet The most important audience for this book is the Bush administration, which has pledged to spend $15 billion on AIDS prevention in Africa and the Caribbean, and which is now being prodded to hand over billions of this sum to the multinational AIDS establishment so thoroughly exposed in this book. If the administration heeds Green's message, it will not assume that the experts are experts, will not assume that the basic facts they cite are facts, and will not assume their good ill or even truthfulness. Africans will be better off for it. There is hope that this message will resonate. -National Review This is a book that tries to focus on those successes in AIDS prevention rather than the failures, even though the successes may not be as dramatic as one would hope in this stage of the pandemic. It is these successes that others in less developed countries can learn and hopefully be successful in their prevention efforts. The focus of this book is on heterosexual transmission of HIV in less-developed countries and on just sexually transmitted AIDS. Based on the findings that are reported in the book, it is reasonable that prevention programs should follow the ABCs: Abstain, Be faithful, or use Condoms if you cannot follow A or B. It is the C that is stressed the most with little resources going into A and B. More recently, the dependence on D (Drugs) has become the norm, resulting in the total disregard of A, B, and C....This is an excellent book that should be in all academic libraries. -Aids Book Review Journal

Author Information

EDWARD C. GREEN is a medical anthropologist and Senior Research Scientist at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, part of Harvard University's School of Public Health.

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