What lies behind the Middle East and North Africa's low number of HIV/AIDS cases?
In 2003, the Middle East and North Africa had only 480,000 or 1% of the world’s HIV infections. Compared to Sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia, which are in the midst of raging pandemics that have infected over 31 million people combined, the Middle East and North Africa have been relatively untouched.
There are a number of possible explanations underlying the Middle East and North Africa’s low numbers. Firstly, the numbers themselves may be more illusion than hard fact. With the lack of reliable and systematic reporting mechanisms in these countries, the numbers are more the result of a rough guess than an exact science. According to UNAIDS, the actual number of cases in the region could lie anywhere between 200,000 and 1.4 million.
However, if one were to accept that the numbers veer towards the low side relative to the rest of the world, a number of factors could explain the levels of HIV/AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa. Many articles have cited the Islamic and Jewish influences which prohibit drug use and sexual relations outside of marriage for the low numbers. However, what has become obvious from Sub-Saharan Africa and other areas combating AIDS is that the overwhelming social inequalities, poverty, gender violence, and economic disparities, which are more the result of politics, play a much larger role than the mores of a community. One need only look to Ethiopia, a country hard hit by AIDS and with a high Muslim population, to illustrate this point.
Looking at the Middle East and North Africa, one can see that the situations there are very different than in Sub-Saharan Africa. Firstly, despite popular stereotypes thrown about, women in the Middle East and North Africa experience a higher level of gender equality than in many other parts of the world. Revealing statistics point to women’s high literacy rates and to their high rate of completion of post-secondary education. One caveat is that the Middle East and North Africa are not homogenous. Women and families do face challenges and like other parts of the world, these challenges can often be separated along an urban and rural distinction. So the level of gender equality will vary across such a diverse region.
Secondly, sub-Saharan Africa has been particularly hard hit by colonialism, oppression, and racism. One factor that has played a part in the spread of AIDS in South Africa was the breakdown of the family structure due to apartheid. With couples separated for months of a time due to the working conditions imposed by apartheid and the limitation on mobility, AIDS spread quickly. Although there are clearly political problems in the Middle East, it has not resulted, thus far, in the systematic breakdown of communities and families. However, the insecurity in the Palestinian situation could translate into an increase in HIV/AIDS in that area.
Lastly, the emphasis on circumcision in males could hinder transmission of HIV. Studies done by the National Institute of Health have shown that circumcision can significantly reduce the transmission rates of HIV. In the Middle East and North Africa, circumcision is part of both the Islamic and Jewish religions.
The reasons behind the Middle East and North Africa’s low HIV/AIDS numbers are just as complex as the reasons behind the AIDS pandemic in Africa and other parts of the world. If one were to accept the low statistics, factors would not be as simplistic as the prohibitions placed by the religions of the area. However, religion, with its focus on social justice and equality, could ease the AIDS crisis.
