The Truth About Aids: an optimistic look at the treatment of HIV: review
A tombstone with “AIDS” chiselled into it, while the stentorian tones of John Hurt uttered the ominous slogan “Don’t Die of Ignorance”. It’s hard to forget those Eighties TV adverts – but blimey, they worked. An entire generation of Britons grew up well-informed and always kept a packet of condoms close to hand.
Contrast this with South Africa, where there’s never been an effective public health campaign. It’s the world’s worst-affected country, where an estimated seven million people live with HIV and around 200,000 die from Aids-related illnesses each year.
In The Truth About HIV (BBC One), such sobering statistics kept on coming. Since the beginning of the epidemic, 70 million have been infected around the world and 35 million have died. In the UK, heterosexual infections now outnumber those in the gay community. More than 100,000 Britons live with HIV, with an estimated 18,000 undiagnosed. There are 6,000 new infections in the UK every year and millions more worldwide.
The ever-engaging Dr Chris van Tulleken – who spends so much time on TV these days, it’s a wonder he gets any doctoring done – was our expert guide in this measured and informative film, which examined the latest treatments and asked if the virus could ever be eradicated for good.
Scientists outlined its origins. To demonstrate the importance of testing, van Tulleken did a DIY one on himself. Happily, he was negative yet it made for surprisingly tense television. It’s easy for Britons to see Aids as a disease of the past, he warned, but complacency could mean we grow ignorant of the risks.
He roped in some famous faces to help get the message across. Elton John recalled how many friends he lost to the disease, while Prince Harry talked about following in his mother’s campaigning footsteps.
Van Tulleken concluded on an optimistic note, explaining how breakthrough drugs can not only keep the virus at bay but prevent infection altogether. The end of the epidemic could even be in sight.
