The Economist

About the author: The Economist is Britain's leading newsweekly.

It is not possible for others to solve the AIDS problem in developing nations. In Africa, for example, where the AIDS epidemic is most severe, Africans themselves need to be taking steps to help address the crisis. These steps include facing the fact that AIDS is mainly a sexually transmitted disease, relinquishing the taboos involved in talking about it, and encouraging the use of condoms. Another step is to test pregnant women for HIV and give them the appropriate anti-AIDS drugs, making certain to upgrade health care facilities to administer the drugs. In addition, women must be educated so that they can feel empowered to say no to unprotected sex. Money from the West cannot solve the AIDS problem in developing...