Donald Sharpe

The Caravan of Love: Reporting on the Hiv / Aids Epidemic Donald Sharpe

Since the discovery of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, there have been so many uncertainties about the cause of this disease and about the ways one gets infected. During the 1980s, so much false information persisted, along with the labeling of groups and discrimination. Thirty years later, this epidemic has gone global; just about every nation on the globe has a caseload involving HIV/AIDS. South Africa was the nation I focus on in this book; however, it is not the only country dealing with this crisis. This disease started as an isolated case; now it is a worldwide phenomenon. Love and education can help us to decrease the spread of this disease. This book highlights the panic people in South Africa went through. Their calls for help received no answers. I was encouraged to get involved when I read about Dr. Hlengwa Smangaliso in the community of Hlabisa, South Africa, who stood up and did all he could to help the people in his community. He, along with others, fought for the government to recognize the cause of the disease, allowing antiretroviral medications to be approved for those who were HIV-positive and educating the population about HIV/AIDS. I encourage you to join The Caravan of Love; whatever you can do to fight against the spread of this disease, join in.