AIDS a 'Security Threat' to Rich Nations, Report Warns

According to a report released Tuesday, AIDS can imprison economies in a straitjacket of ailing workers, dying farmers, and soaring costs. The report was prepared by the International Crisis Group (ICG), a non-profit multinational organization founded by former senator George Mitchell to defuse conflicts before they escalate. "AIDS is now a security threat as severe as any other crisis we cover," said Mark Schneider, senior vice president at ICG. The report also says that AIDS can destabilize communities by creating orphans -- an estimated 40 million by 2010. "It's like you've got an army waiting to be recruited for drugs, for crime, for militias," Schneider said. He added that 95 percent of AIDS orphans will be in sub-Saharan Africa.

The report said that AIDS might hamper efforts to intervene in crises by taking a toll on peacekeeping forces and those that the missions are meant to protect. In Sierra Leone and Liberia, the report says, peacekeeping troops "have been among the main agents for spreading HIV." The report also endorses UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's call for wealthy nations to fund a $10 billion annual "war chest" to curb the AIDS epidemic.

Back to other CDC news for June 20, 2001

Previous Updates | Search the CDC archive