Coke causing AIDS in Africa?

[Emilio_Lizardo]

At a recent fundraiser for Southern Indian development, I saw a woman wearing a button that suggested that there was a causal link between the Coca-Cola corporation and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa. I’m baffled as to what this link is. Does anywhat know what’s the scoop on this?

[RickJay]

The scoop is that a lot of people on developing countries believe in ridiculous conspiracy theories about AIDS.

[SCSimmons]

This site alleges that several large Western companies that operate in Africa for the cheap labor, with Coca-Cola heading the list, prefer to hire new workers to replace the ones that die from AIDS rather than spend the money to treat the many HIV-positive Africans in their labor pool.

I found that link in a Google search, mingled with about fifty links to sites trumpeting Coke’s participation in UN-sponsored AIDS prevention and treatment programs. Make of that what you will.

[JohnM]

Long-distance truckers have been one of the most important vectors in the spread of HIV infections in Africa; perhaps the button was referring to this, since Coca-Cola has a major presence in Africa. If that is not what is being referred to, then I opt for conspiracy theory.

[Bob_Scene]

For that matter, a lot of people in developed countries believe in ridiculous conspiracy theories about AIDS. I just saw a Chris Rock special where he said that “doctors” could cure AIDS if they wanted to, but they make more money by giving people medications that just manage it instead of curing it. The audience cheered approvingly.

[kambuckta]

Bob Scene, while I don’t believe the medical profession would be so bastardly with AIDS, I have for many years held the conspiracy belief that there IS a cure for the common cold that is being withheld for economic reasons.
Cold and flu remedies probably provide the bulk of the annual income for pharmaceutical companies, and given that these diseases are generally not too serious, IMHO it makes a great deal of sense to keep the viruses and the Sudafed/NiQuil circulating.

And how come I can stay ‘Cold-Free’ for months, but when I get conscientious and take a course of Vitamin C tabs (to ward off a potential dreaded lurgy), within about 3 days I INVARIABLY come down with a cold! Do they impregnate the tabs with rotoviruses???
OK, thats my ‘I Don’t Trust the System’ rant for the day!

[Eve]

“I just saw a Chris Rock special where he said that “doctors” could cure AIDS if they wanted to, but they make more money by giving people medications that just manage it instead of curing it.”

—Jesus, Chris Rock really said that? I always gave him more credit for intelligence. How disappointing.

[evilhanz]

*Originally posted by SCSimmons *
This site alleges that several large Western companies that operate in Africa for the cheap labor, with Coca-Cola heading the list, prefer to hire new workers to replace the ones that die from AIDS rather than spend the money to treat the many HIV-positive Africans in their labor pool.

Hmmm… even if it were true, which it probably is, I don’t see their point. Where did these activists get the idea that it was Coca-Cola’s responsibility to pay for treatment?

[Efrem]

*Originally posted by Bob Scene *
**For that matter, a lot of people in developed countries believe in ridiculous conspiracy theories about AIDS. I just saw a Chris Rock special where he said that “doctors” could cure AIDS if they wanted to, but they make more money by giving people medications that just manage it instead of curing it. The audience cheered approvingly. **

Where do you find the link between the belief’s of “people in developed countries” and the audience at a Chris Rock show.

Aren’t the people at that Chris Rock show from a developed Nation.

[Cat_Fight]

“Where do you find the link between the belief’s of “people in developed countries” and the audience at a Chris Rock show.
Aren’t the people at that Chris Rock show from a developed Nation.”

Um… que? Developed country=America=developed nation.
I’m a little disappointed in Chris Rock, too. Oh yeah, people are just gettin’ RICH off of AIDS. Hoowee, an industry that’s profitable for all!

[Efrem]

*Originally posted by Cat Fight *
**“Where do you find the link between the belief’s of “people in developed countries” and the audience at a Chris Rock show.
Aren’t the people at that Chris Rock show from a developed Nation.”

Um… que? Developed country=America=developed nation.
I’m a little disappointed in Chris Rock, too. Oh yeah, people are just gettin’ RICH off of AIDS. Hoowee, an industry that’s profitable for all! **

Forgive me, I am an Idiot.

[labboy]

*Originally posted by Bob Scene *
**For that matter, a lot of people in developed countries believe in ridiculous conspiracy theories about AIDS. I just saw a Chris Rock special where he said that “doctors” could cure AIDS if they wanted to, but they make more money by giving people medications that just manage it instead of curing it. The audience cheered approvingly. **

This is quoted from Chris Rocks comedy special ‘bigger and blacker.’ It was a joke!!! Bob Scene took this completely out of context. It was in a whole series of jokes about the american medical system.

[Tranquilis]

*Originally posted by kambuckta *
I have for many years held the conspiracy belief that there IS a cure for the common cold that is being withheld for economic reasons.

And here is some of the evidence that you’re wrong. From the last listed cite:

There are probably a couple of reasons why there are so many cold viruses. We now think that the symptoms of the common cold are an unwanted by-product of our body’s response to the virus. The same response, and thus the same symptoms, occur when the nose is exposed to a variety of different viruses as well as non-infectious agents like some pollutants in the air. The second reason is that many of the viruses that infect the nose have RNA as their nucleic acid. The replication process for RNA viruses tends to be a bit inaccurate so that mutations occur frequently. When these mutations produce a virus that can replicate but has a slightly different protein shell our bodies may recognize this as a “new” virus. The rhinoviruses which are the most common cause of the colds have over 100 different types that are distinguished by the way our body recognizes the protein shell of the virus.

**Cold and flu remedies probably provide the bulk of the annual income for pharmaceutical companies, and given that these diseases are generally not too serious, IMHO it makes a great deal of sense to keep the viruses and the Sudafed/NiQuil circulating. **

Cite?

And how come I can stay ‘Cold-Free’ for months, but when I get conscientious and take a course of Vitamin C tabs (to ward off a potential dreaded lurgy), within about 3 days I INVARIABLY come down with a cold! Do they impregnate the tabs with rotoviruses???

Rhinovirus, not rotovirus. From the above quoted site:

…The length of time any drug or dietary supplement would need to be taken in advance of the infection in order to have an effect will depend on the mechanism of action and the pharmacologic properties of the material…

…a dietary supplement that might act as an antioxidant might need to be present in the nasal mucosa before the onset of oxidant production.

In short, it’s an issue of timing.

As for why there’s no cure for the common cold?

Antibiotics do not kill viruses… …Does vitamin C have a role? Many people are convinced that taking large quantities of vitamin C will prevent colds or relieve symptoms. To test this theory, several large-scale, controlled studies involving children and adults have been conducted. To date, no conclusive data has shown that large doses of vitamin C prevent colds. The vitamin may reduce the severity or duration of symptoms, but there is no definitive evidence.

[Redboss]

I think kambuckta was just kidding. Joke, Joyce.

BUT it was a pretty damn good rebuttal, and I for one am certainly better informed, so your time was not wasted.

Redboss

[Bob_Scene]

*Originally posted by labboy *
**This is quoted from Chris Rocks comedy special ‘bigger and blacker.’ It was a joke!!! Bob Scene took this completely out of context. It was in a whole series of jokes about the american medical system. **

Well, of course it’s a joke. Chris Rock is a comedian, and he has the right to joke about stuff, but the audience’s response indicated to me that they generally agreed with what he was saying. A lot of people in this country (and every other country, as far as I know) buy into whacky medical conspiracy theories about AIDS and cancer and such.

I have to admit, though, that I’ve only been a medical student for a year now. Maybe some day soon we’ll get the Conspiracy Lecture where some professor will try not to laugh as he tells us about the miracle cancer pill that we better not tell anyone about if we ever want to get our student loans paid off.

[Tranquilis]

*Originally posted by Redboss *
**I think kambuckta was just kidding. Joke, Joyce.

BUT it was a pretty damn good rebuttal, and I for one am certainly better informed, so your time was not wasted.

Redboss **

Ah, you’re probably correct. Sorry about that, kambuckta. I work primarily in Pharma, and I may be a bit thin-skinned there.

Thanks, Redboss.

[SCSimmons]

*Originally posted by evilhanz *
**Hmmm… even if it were true, which it probably is, I don’t see their point. Where did these activists get the idea that it was Coca-Cola’s responsibility to pay for treatment? **

Hey, I just gave a link, I didn’t say it made sense. As far as I can tell, they’re claiming that (a) CC, Inc. has a corporate medical plan that covers such treatment, (b) the company employs many people in Africa who should be covered by this plan, and (c) the company drastically under-reports its employee base and/or incidence of HIV/AIDS amongst said employees to minimize its insurance expenses. How they manage this is not clear, nor is it made clear the exact contents of the company’s medical benefits packages. My suspicion is that there are multiple benefit packages available for employees of the company at various (subsidized) prices; that the bulk of their African employees cannot afford the more expensive plans, which are the ones that include access to the cutting-edge medicines that may be able to control the development of HIV into AIDS; and that this is JUST NOT FAIR! But I don’t have any data to back that up, nor access to the moral theory from which the last conclusion is drawn. :rolleyes:

[zev_steinhardt]

Of course, the person just ignores the fact that in June 2001 the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation signed up to help fight AIDS in Africa.

Zev Steinhardt

[Spit]

Coke causing AIDS in Africa?

Well of course, didn’t you know that it’s always the evil corporations that harm people? :rolleyes:

[SCSimmons]

Zev! Don’t you know that’s just a token effort to bolster their public image? :rolleyes:

Maybe I’d better retire from this thread before the secret CCC (Coca-Cola Commando) thugs come after j4-8-107ai;;e(*

Mr. Simmons-er, I mean, I would like to humbly apologize for any perceived slight toward the Coca-Cola corporation and any of its executives that may have shown up in this thread. Thank you.

And there are no Coca-Cola Commandos.