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Since virtually all HIV-positive Africans have not taken anti-HIV
drugs, Africa provides the perfect opportunity to determine if there is a
difference in mortality and morbidity between two groups of people who
differ only in there HIV antibody status. Incredible as it may sound, this
study has not been done anywhere before, including the USA and Europe [1,
2, 3]. Therefore, the first thing that Kitahata and colleagues should do
before subjecting millions of Africans to billions of dollars worth of
very toxic anti-HIV drugs is determine whether or not HIV-positive
Africans die sooner and live poorer lives than their HIV-negative
neighbors. Kitahata et al. assume that this must be the case, but it is
nothing more than an assumption.
The second assumption implicit in the article by Kitahata et al. is
that people taking the anti-HIV drugs live longer or at least better lives
than an identical group of HIV-positive people who do not take the drugs.
However, there is no proof in the scientific, medical literature that the
anti-HIV drugs do more good than harm, even in the developed world [2].
Indeed, the opposite is true. Dr. Amy Justice of the University of
Pittsburgh told her colleagues at the 14th International AIDS Conference
in Barcelona this year that the most common cause of death among HIV
positive people is not AIDS but liver failure due to the drugs [4].
South African president Thabo Mbeki is well aware that the developed
world's attitudes towards Africa and its eagerness to subject Africans to
toxic, unproved anti-HIV drugs are based on, among other things, the two
assumptions of Kitahata et al. That's why Mbeki set up his AIDS Advisory
Panel in 2000 to specifically address these assumptions and answer his
questions about the differences between AIDS in the developed world and
Africa. Instead of providing answers to his questions, AIDS Inc. is
systematically trying to neutralize and isolate Mbeki so that he does not
infect other Africans with these questions.
David Rasnick, PhD
Member of Mbeki's AIDS Advisory Panel
References
1) Duesberg PH (1996): Inventing the AIDS Virus. Washington, Regnery
Publishing Inc.
2) Duesberg PH, Rasnick D (1998): The AIDS dilemma: drug diseases
blamed on a passenger virus. Genetica 104: 85-132.
3) Root-Bernstein R (1993): Rethinking AIDS: The tragic cost of
premature consensus. New York, NY, Free Press.
First things first
Dear Editor,
Since virtually all HIV-positive Africans have not taken anti-HIV
drugs, Africa provides the perfect opportunity to determine if there is a
difference in mortality and morbidity between two groups of people who
differ only in there HIV antibody status. Incredible as it may sound, this
study has not been done anywhere before, including the USA and Europe [1,
2, 3]. Therefore, the first thing that Kitahata and colleagues should do
before subjecting millions of Africans to billions of dollars worth of
very toxic anti-HIV drugs is determine whether or not HIV-positive
Africans die sooner and live poorer lives than their HIV-negative
neighbors. Kitahata et al. assume that this must be the case, but it is
nothing more than an assumption.
The second assumption implicit in the article by Kitahata et al. is
that people taking the anti-HIV drugs live longer or at least better lives
than an identical group of HIV-positive people who do not take the drugs.
However, there is no proof in the scientific, medical literature that the
anti-HIV drugs do more good than harm, even in the developed world [2].
Indeed, the opposite is true. Dr. Amy Justice of the University of
Pittsburgh told her colleagues at the 14th International AIDS Conference
in Barcelona this year that the most common cause of death among HIV
positive people is not AIDS but liver failure due to the drugs [4].
South African president Thabo Mbeki is well aware that the developed
world's attitudes towards Africa and its eagerness to subject Africans to
toxic, unproved anti-HIV drugs are based on, among other things, the two
assumptions of Kitahata et al. That's why Mbeki set up his AIDS Advisory
Panel in 2000 to specifically address these assumptions and answer his
questions about the differences between AIDS in the developed world and
Africa. Instead of providing answers to his questions, AIDS Inc. is
systematically trying to neutralize and isolate Mbeki so that he does not
infect other Africans with these questions.
David Rasnick, PhD
Member of Mbeki's AIDS Advisory Panel
References
1) Duesberg PH (1996): Inventing the AIDS Virus. Washington, Regnery
Publishing Inc.
2) Duesberg PH, Rasnick D (1998): The AIDS dilemma: drug diseases
blamed on a passenger virus. Genetica 104: 85-132.
3) Root-Bernstein R (1993): Rethinking AIDS: The tragic cost of
premature consensus. New York, NY, Free Press.
4) http://www.aids2002.com/Program/ViewAbstract.asp?id=/T-
CMS_Content/Abstract/200206290750522147.xml
Competing interests: No competing interests