Money 'is no protection' against HIV
06/07/2010
A new study has shown that despite previous beliefs, the level of wealth or poverty in a region does not have any impact on the prevalence of HIV.
According to Irin News, a report from Justin Parkhurst, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine showed that when it comes to money and wealth, HIV trends and appearance are different in many different African nations.
Figures showed that some nations with higher gross domestic product did not have clear links between HIV and wealth, though countries with low incomes tended to see cases of the virus rising depending on people's income.
In Uganda and Cote d'Ivoire the highest prevalence of HIV was found to be among women in the highest income bracket.
The news source noted that Parkhurst's findings "have implications for one-size-fits-all prevention campaigns that do not take into account the complex and changing ways in which wealth, education level and gender can affect risk-taking behaviours".
Meanwhile, a survey released by the government of Mozambique this week showed that nearly 12 per cent of its population has HIV or AIDS.
Written by Dan Parr.
