by Nirmalya Dutta
Over the years, HIV/AIDS has evolved from a certain death
sentence to a manageable ailment. This metamorphosis didn’t come easy though,
because for a long time, the ambiguous nature of the disease gave voice to AIDS
denialists who refused to believe the scientific consensus for the
disease.
The following individuals and their views fuelled a movement
called AIDS denialism, that had many believing AIDS wasn’t caused by HIV. Some
of the most infamous proponents of this movement were molecular-biologist Peter
Duesberg, chemist David Rasnick, journalist Celia Farber, vitamin salesman
Matthias Rath and former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki.
Peter Duesberg – The Cherry Picker
Duesberg’s stance that HIV did not cause AIDS, had disastrous
consequences, particularly in South Africa where President Thabo Mbeki was
convinced Duesberg was right. He was of the opinion that HIV is a harmless
passenger virus and the real cause of AIDS was long-term consumption of
recreational drugs and antiretroviral drugs.
Cherry picking is a logical fallacy that often has disastrous
consequences in scientific research. It alludes to taking a particular position
while ignoring a large amount of data to support your stand. The father of AIDS
denialism, a 2008 Discover Magazine feature on Duesberg has HIV/AIDS
expert Max Essex suggesting: ‘…history will judge Duesberg as either ‘a nut who
is just a tease to the scientific community’ or an ‘enabler to mass murder’ for
the deaths of many AIDS patients in Africa.’
