Six degrees of separation

The estimated HIV prevalence in 2006 was nearly 40,000 in Russia, according to UNAIDS in 2007 the prevalence rate rose to approximately 400,000 (other sources claim the undocumented number is closer to 1.3 million). That is a 10% increase in one year! Over time increases this dramatic can reek havoc on a society. In much of the world the primary mode of transmission (the way people get AIDS) is heterosexual sex. Sixty-six percent of Russian's with AIDS contracted it through injected drug use. The primary drug of choice in this part of the world is heroin.

I've thought many times since arriving in Russia; it's possible, the entire earth just might be connected by no more than six degrees of separation.

I think the six degrees of separation concept applies to more than just people to people connections. I think it could also apply to our actions. It is entirely possible, in fact likely, that our actions have a ripple effect (reaction) far beyond what we see. What we do, our actions, could unintentionally impact the lives of someone else on earth. What does all this theory have to do with AIDS in Russia? Quite a bit.

On this trip I have learned that the US War on Terror has impacted the dramatic increase of AIDS in Russia. It seems like the two would be completely separate matters, rather they are intimately connected. Here's the equation:

1. The War on Terror destabilized the government in Afghanistan,
2. which led to a well documented increase in poppy production in that country,
3. poppy seeds are used to create the opium drug,
4. opium is a primary ingredient in heroin (see where I'm going),
5. the heroin created in Afghanistan is imported to Russia (also well documented),
6. tainted needles used to inject heroin in Russia are increasing the spread of AIDS
   

Six degrees of separation...crazy isn't it?!

I did a quick google search to make sure I wasn't just making stuff up, I found numerous articles (hundreds) that make many of these connections. I found this one particularly interesting (http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=2607), it focuses on the first couple of steps. The author points out the tension between competing US values - War on Terror vs War on Drugs. He suggests a focus on reducing poppy production would undermine the elimination of Al Queda and the Taliban. He suggests looking the other way to pursue bigger national interests - homeland security. We now see, that decision would ripple all the way to Moscow, Russia taking lives in the form of HIV/AIDS. I go back to my original observation - our actions have a ripple effect (reaction) far beyond what we see. What we do, our actions, could unintentionally impact the lives of someone else on earth.

I thought you might also like to know Afghanistan heroin also reaches U.S. streets. Cooper Anderson of CNN documented this on his blog in September 2006 (http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/2006/09/taliban-profits-from-us-heroin-addicts.html).

Uninteneded consequences...unintentional impact...six degrees of seperation.