One of the core function of public health is to ensure/assure conducive environment for a healthy living by implementing necessary health related policies that will improve the quality of life. Public health is a societal responsibility, and the outcome of any public health policy, one way or the other, affects everyone (Benjamin, 2013). During the 1978 HIV/AIDS epidemic onset, the core functions of public health were limited because of lack of facts and accuracy of the mode of action and transmission of HIV. In fact, most of the initial hypothesis for the HIV transmission at the time were inaccurate and were merely political (Cantwell, 2005). For instance, most of the observed incidence of the infection were among young gay populations participating in hepatitis B vaccine clinical trials in Manhattan New York, San Francisco and other parts of the country. The penetrance of HIV/AIDS among this population led to the assumption in stigmatizing the infection/disease a “gay plaque” (Aegis, n.d). These sets of assumption were the greatest failure with the public health policy in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The political mess that surrounded the HIV epidemic is undoubtedly one of the worst unethical policy in the history of global pandemic and public health awareness. The US government banned HIV-positive/AIDS immigrants and travelers from entering the country for treatment (Krim, n.d). Meanwhile, in the US, discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients were uninhibited, thus forcing the HIV/AIDS advocates and civil right movements to lunch mirage of campaign/awareness of the inaction trend on crimes committed against HIV/AIDS patients. Following the awareness programs in 1988, the US government banned discrimination against Federal workers with HIV (Krim, n.d).

Without individual and organizational participations in the HIV awareness programs, HIV/AIDS public health awareness will not go far. The American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) awarded its first grant for the global pandemic to Dr. Peter Piot for his study of female-to-male HIV transmission in Kenya (Krim, n.d). The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACTUP) was formed in 1987 in New York, an international advocacy group for AIDS. This group is a strong PWAs and influence AIDS epidemic legislation, medical research, treatment and policies that could ultimately eradicate the disease by mitigating loss of health and lives (Krim, n.d). Similarly, the FDA authorized condom-manufacturers to claim the prevention of the transmission of HIV with condoms when properly used.

Due to the societal pressure demanding a new therapy for the HIV/AIDS disease, in record time, FDA approved the first anti-HIV/AIDS drug Zidovudine (AZT) in 1987 (Krim, nd). However, AZT immediately became the most expensive drug in history, and many HIV patients were not financially secure to afford AZT treatment at the cost of $10,000 for a one-year supply (Krim, n.d). The financial and health care exploitation by the pharmaceutical industry with AZT over public health welfare were clear, an invitation for public health disaster. Fortunately, HIV/AIDS activists and the general public launched waves of protest within the US against drug price exploitation. In addition, the FDA authorized importation of non-approved treatment for people with AIDS (PWAs) personal use (Aegis, n.d). Despite the AZT invention and financial exploitation by the pharmaceutical industry, scientist later found that AZT was neither safe nor efficient in treating HIV patients. In fact, AZT was a toxic drug and caused more harm to HIV patients. The discovery of serious harmful adverse events with AZT is a lesson indicative of the importance of product quality, moving forward. Therefore, an evidence-based assessment process is an essential tool before making a speedy conclusion and judgment on public health issues (both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors).

More facts known about HIV/AIDs is the key in preventing and finding a sustainable cure for HIV/AIDS. Considering the mid-1990s CCR5-delta32 discovery, individuals with a CCR5-delta32 homozygous allele confers complete resistance to HIV-1 (LAV) infection and AIDS (Cohen, & Weaver, 2006). The allele prevalence is localized to European descendant and are thus far, not found among Africans, Amerindians and East Asians (Cohen, & Weaver, 2006). Among European populations, the mutation prevalence is up to 18% (PharmNest, 2013). Current scientific data using skeletal remains roughly 2900 years old of northern Europeans, the CCR5-delta32 mutation was dated to about 5075 years old mutation and cannot be attributed to recent disease epidemics (Cohen, & Weaver, 2006). Furthermore, scientists found a correlation between a long term estimates of lactose tolerance (LCT) in Europe corresponds to the emergence of CCR5-delta32 (Cohen, & Weaver, 2006). Heterozygous carriers of this allele may develop AIDS in a slower pace. It is safe to assert that there are lots of facts not known by the scientific community about HIV, but it must not deter the altruistic efforts in finding a solution in solving this global problem. Historically in public health, pathogens may not be necessarily characterized to achieve successful preventive measures or public health awareness programs. The London Cholera epidemic was a successful epidemiological intervention despite the fact that the pathogens were not fully known or characterized at the time.

References

Aegis.com (n.d). A brief history of HIV/AIDS. Retrieved from http://ww1.aegis.org/topics/timeline/default.asp.

Cantwell, A. (2005). Debunking the out of Africa origin of HIV and AIDS the greatest   conspiracy story. Retrieved from http://rense.com/general61/outof.htm.

Cohen, S., & Weaver, L. (2006). The black death and AIDS. CCR5-DEL32 in genetics and history. Retrieved from http://qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/99/8/497.full.

Krim, M. (n.d). Thirty years of HIV/AIDS: Snapshots of an epidemic. Retrieved from http://www.amfar.org/abouthivandaids/moreabouthivandaids/thirtyyearsof_             hivaidssnapshotsofanepidemic/.

PharmNest. (2013). HIV infection and the CCR5- ∆32 immunity.  Retrieved from https://pharmnest.com/2013/05/27/hiv-infection-and-the-ccr532-immunity/