The NACP report shows that HIV/AIDS cases were substantially under-reported during prior years. According to the UNAIDS/WHO report on the incidence of HIV/AIDS in Liberia, from 1986 to 1997 the following HIV/AIDS cases were reported:

1. In 1986, two HIV cases were reported;
2. In 1989, three persons tested positive;
3. In 1991, fourteen cases were reported;
4. In 1993, four persons tested for HIV;
5. In 1994, twelve persons tested for HIV;
6. In 1996, eighteen persons tested positive;
7. and in 1997, 48 patients tested positive.

1. In 1993, 4% of the women who went for prenatal test, tested positive for HIV;
2. and in 1998, 8% of the men who went to be treated for STD, tested positive for the HIV virus.

For a nation that is currently recovering from a devastating seven-year civil war, and a government that cannot provide the most basic health needs of its people, the news is devastating, but not unexpected. The seven-year civil war had all the ingredients for this health nightmare. Most of the 60,000 rebel fighters, who were "child soldiers" were forced to ingest drugs to carry out the will of the war lords. Thousands are currently addicted. Added to this factor were thousands of soldiers from various West African states who brought, "God knows what!" and infected the Liberian women and children. AIDS/HIV is a global problem, and no nation is immune from its infection; however, Liberia did not have to acquire this overwhelming health crisis.

The response of the Liberian Government to the current health crisis is loaded with half-measures.

• The Government has promised to pass an AIDS law, making it "attempted murder" for an AIDS patient to knowingly have sex with an uninfected person;
• and an AIDS commission is to be formed to deal with the crisis.

The treatment and management of AIDS/HIV poses an enormous health and economic problem for the Liberia people. A report by UNAIDS/WHO shows that the treatment of an individual AIDS/HIV case in the Congo Republic and Kenya was well over $1,000 per year. If this figure is extrapolated in the Liberian case, we are talking about $100 million annually.

This is another war that will claim the lives of thousands of our people. The traditional infectious diseases, malaria, yellow fever, and cholera, will only quicken the death of thousands of HIV-infected Liberians, whose immune system have already been compromised by AIDS.

Approximately two-thirds of all the global cases of AIDS/HIV has been reported in Africa. In 1998, it is reported that 1.5 million people died from the disease. Liberia has joined the fray.

My view is that the Governnment should immediately take the following measures to begin a national struggle against HIV/AIDS:

1. Symbolically, the goal of testing all Liberians should begin with the testing of all government officials, starting with the President, the Cabinet, Judges, and Legislators. The message will be heard loud and clear among Liberians , that if the President and high government officials are tested, everybody should be tested;
2. Mass education on AIDS/HIV should be implemented;
3. the Government should set up AIDS/HIV clinics around the country, and appeal to the international community for assistance; and
4. there should be immigration restrictions on the entry of emigrants who have tested positive for HIV/AIDS; and all persons entering Liberia should either be tested or should show medical records showing that they are HIV negative. Most nations of the world already have strict guidelines governing the entry of HIV/AIDS patients in their country.

Here is a tabular presentation of Time Magazine/UNAIDS statistics:

Number of Africans Infected with the AIDS virus

South Africa	4,200,000
Ethiopia	3,000,000
Nigeria	2,700,000
Kenya	2,100,000
Zambibwe	1,500,000
Tanzania	1,300,000
Mozambique	1,200,000
Democratic Republic of Congo	1,100,000
Zambia	870,000
Uganda	820,000
Malawi	800,000
Ivory Coast	760,000
Cameroon	540,000
Rwanda	400,000
Burundi	360,000
Ghana	340,000
Botswana	290,000
Lesotho	240,000
Central African Republic	240,000
Namibia	160,000
Togo	130,000
Chad	92,000
Republic of Congo	86,000
Senegal	79,000
Sierra Leone	68,000
Guinea	55,000
Eriterea	49,000
Liberia	39,000
Dijibouti	37,000
Gabon	23,000
Guinea-Bissua	14,000
Gambia	13,000
Madagascar	11,000
Mauritania	6,600

The NACP and the UNAIDS statistics do not necessarily conflict. The NACP is on the front line and has the updated figures.

The above figures must be placed in proper perspectives to get a better picture of the incidence of AIDS in Africa. South Africa, for example, with a population of 40 million has 10% of its population infected with the AIDS virus; Nigeria which has a population of 123 million people has 2% of its population infected; and Liberia, which has a population of 3 million people has 1% of its population infected. Consequently, on a per capita basis (based on the UNAIDS figures), Nigeria, for example, has more people infected with the AIDS virus than Liberia. However, this analysis does not say very much about the actual state of AIDS cases in Africa, since there are high incidence of unreported cases in many African countries, coupled with the fact that the National Aids Control Program of Liberia indicates that on a per capita basis, Liberia has 3% of its population infected with the AIDS virus.

The 2001 CIA(Centeral Intelligence Agency) estimates,indicates that 2.8% of the adult population(1,832,060)of Liberia, between the ages 15-64, are infected. This estimate indicates that 51,298 Liberians are infected. In other words, 1 out of 62 people are infected.