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The public freaks out when they learn that someone might have spliced a salt resistance gene into a tomato, and you think the public will accept the kind of adv
by fdsaaf 10y ago
The public freaks out when they learn that someone might have spliced a salt resistance gene into a tomato, and you think the public will accept the kind of advanced genetic manipulation you'd need to kill HIV dead?
- themartorana 10y agoPeople are afraid the genetically modified tomato will make them sick or kill them. If someone has AIDS, however, I'm sure they'd be much more willing to eat those tomatoes.
- jkot 10y agoBut it does not matter what western public thinks. Africa has its own public and governments.
- zaroth 10y agoFrom what I've heard, in parts of Africa worst ravaged by AIDS popular opinion is that even condoms are a western conspiracy. Are you saying they would be more welcome of a genetic solution than the west?!
- jkot 10y agoI am saying that Africa can create its own politics. At end it will be about paying billions to pharma companies, or fraction of that to someone in Thailand or China. And every part of Africa uses inventions such as car or gun.
- zaroth 10y agoAfrica (probably too diverse to discuss as a single entity anyway) certainly has its own politics. I'm not sure how well it has set it's own policies/politics historically. As far as R&D of new treatments, prophylaxis, and cures... I didn't know there were divergent strains with specialized treatments and one that is predominant in only Africa. This saddens me greatly because arriving at a cure will take upwards of $1 trillion USD and companies (even governments) need to have a hope of return on that investment. If (and this is a big IF) curing HIV in America does not actually cure HIV in Africa, then there is no way for the US market to subsidize the rest of the world, and much less likely for a cure for the African strain to ever be created.
- psychometry 10y agoProbably, since most people are generally ignorant of how drugs are developed. We've been making synthetic insulin with recombinant DNA since the 70s and no one bats an eye.
- Qantourisc 10y agoYou mean the <your local medicinal vetting institute> checked (at least I hope) products, that (at least I hope) only contain the filtered product and normally none of the DNA / unknown side effects ?