Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness told the House of Assembly on Friday.

AIDS was the subject of debate, and Shadow Health Minister Mr. Nelson Bascome said it was time Government turned words into action.

"We have before us many, many long years of struggle to save lives and suffering,'' an emotional Mr. Edness said.

"You ask us what is our aim,'' he said. "I answer, to rid our community of the worst, most devastating disease of the 20th century.'' Debated was a motion from Mr. Edness "that this House take note of the devastating effects of the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus in our community and the effective means of combatting it.'' The Minister said that everyone in Bermuda had been affected by the disease and most recognised "the potential threat it is both socially and economically.'' The House should "try and seek more effective ways by which we...can try and protect ourselves from the ravages of this disease.'' The Country had never faced such a serious problem. While MPs could disagree on political issues, "we need a unity of purpose to be able to prevent the death and suffering that it brings about,'' Mr. Edness said.

AIDS was a viral infection caused by HIV, which attacked the immune sytem.

More than 150 strains had been identified already.

As of December 31, 851,628 cases of AIDS had been reported to the World Health Organisation, but that number was "a relatively crude indicator'' because of incomplete reporting in many countries.

"In Bermuda, while we are looked upon as having percentage wise a high number of AIDS cases per population, we are also regarded as having the best reporting system throughout the world,'' Mr. Edness said.

Worldwide, the WHO estimated about 14 million people were infected with HIV, about one million of them children.

In Bermuda, 33 cases of HIV were reported in 1993, up 57 percent from the 21 cases reported in 1992. More than half of last year's cases occurred in the 30-39 age group, he said.

As of December 31, 247 AIDS cases had been reported in Bermuda and 213 people had died of the disease.

Of the Bermuda cases, 89.9 percent of victims were black and 10.1 percent white, he said. Females accounted for about 20 percent of victims.

Intravenous drug abusers continued to be a major high risk group, accounting for 117 cases. But cases caused by heterosexual sex had grown to 47, from only a few in the recent past.

While there were concerns that not all parts of the population were being effectively reached about AIDS, "there has been a tremendous effort,'' Mr.

Edness said.

Education and information were the only effective weapons against AIDS. The disease was classified as a communicable disease by Government order in 1984.

The Public Health Amendment Act 1993, and the Criminal Code (Sexual Offences) Act -- which made it a criminal offence to knowingly have sex with an unwitting partner when infected with HIV -- were other measures taken.

An AIDS surveillance team was set up, and private groups like STAR and the Allen Vincent Smith Foundation were doing important work. So was the Hospice Foundation and the volunteer group at the Hospice. And unions like the Bermuda Industrial Union were doing their part.

Government disseminated information to doctors and other health care workers, and all donated blood was screened for HIV. But there was no test for the HIV2 strain that was becoming more common in the Western Hemisphere.

The Health Ministry had an AIDS task force to advise the Minister and the Hospice was "an outstanding facility,'' for which the community owed much to Mr. Russ Ford.

"We can't have anyone who is not involved in making an effort,'' Mr. Edness said. "This should not be done by legislation. It should be done by volunteerism.

"We can in fact stop people from dying if we can effectively get information to them.'' Of world HIV cases, at least six million were young people. "We have to try to devise efforts to more efficiently reach our young people.'' He commended the Advertising and Publicity Association who had volunteered to develop posters and television commercials to educate young people about AIDS.

Resources would have to be found to improve and expand that effort, he said.

A more unified approach was needed. Last year, AIDS expert Mrs. Debra Fraser-Howze visited from New York and said there should be a black organisation to fight AIDS.

She was criticised, but statistics showed "in many instances the message is not getting to black youngsters as it should.'' Bermuda might not want a commission to deal specifically with blacks and AIDS, but needed one capable of communicating effectively with the black community.

General messages did not work as well as ones targeted at specific communities.

"We have to set up a body that is going to be able to better coordinate this effort with all of the Government and non-Government organisations but also to concentrate on how we can better develop prevention programmes where a message can be more effectively conveyed.'' Government might not be the most effective vehicle to bring it all together, he said.

A cure was still many years away, and even once one was found, it would be years before Bermuda was free from the problem. "We don't know who is infected,'' and "we have to double, if not triple, our efforts,'' he said.

Business should all develop AIDS policies and instruct staff on them, he said.

People with HIV were generally able to keep working, but a policy was needed and co-workers had to be educated.

All businesses, churches, sports clubs, and social clubs should "implement policies and programmes to better inform their employees (or members) about HIV infection and AIDS.'' Controversial programmes had to be talked about, he said. Abstinence was the most effective form of prevention, but young people were sexually active at 12 and 14 and did not understand AIDS was a threat.

There was difference of opinion in Government about condom distribution in schools, but condoms properly used would save lives, he said.

"Until we can get every young person in this community to become sexually inactive, and I think that is an impossible dream, we're going to have to consider condom distribution,'' he said.

Free needle distribution also had to be talked about, because IV drug abuse was the main way HIV was infecting heterosexuals.

Many countries were stemming the spread by issuing drug users with clean needles. "There is the fear of being accused of aiding and abetting drug use,'' but "it saves lives,'' he said.

It also gave authorities a relationship with the drug user and a chance to change their habits.

While needle distribution should be discussed, "I do not feel that I would advocate a needle sharing programme for Bermuda,'' Mr. Edness said.

Many intravenous drug abusers in Bermuda had already died. Those who had not were aware of the risk and had "changed the manner in which they used drugs,'' mainly to snorting.

If habits changed again, such a programme might be needed.

Rural Uganda had been devastated by AIDS, demonstrating that "left in ignorance, this disease can decimate a society, a country,'' Mr. Edness said.

"This must not be allowed to happen in this Country.'' Lack of resources or knowledge was not the obstacle to fighting AIDS, but "lack of political resolve to use existing information.'' The House was already guilty in part, and if AIDS programmes were not made more effective, "we will be guilty of that entire comment.'' Mr. Bascome said he was going to ask for a minute of silence for those who had died of AIDS, but realised "all voices should be raised'' against the disease.

At last year's World AIDS Day in Bermuda, Mr. Bascome recalled that he said it was "time to act.'' At World AIDS Day the year before, he noted how the large number of teenage pregnancies showed that young people were not practising safe sex.

One would have hoped the AIDS Task Force could have incorporated the commission that was needed. The commission needed people dedicated to stamping out AIDS, Mr. Bascome said.

The task force was established in 1985, but committees on prevention of prenatal transmission and others that were talked about had not been set up.

Hopefully, the debate would help put those in place. "There is no more time to talk. It's time to act,'' Mr. Bascome said.

Mrs. Fraser-Howze's comments about blacks and AIDS "raised eyebrows,'' but Bermuda was quick to condemn suggestions without trying them.

The disproportionate number of blacks infected in Bermuda showed "something is wrong,'' he said.

"Maybe there needs to be a special committee in our black community. Maybe we need to drive it home even further into our black community.'' Moving on, there were many AIDS orphans in Bermuda. Foster parents were needed for them, but foster parents needed resources to help cover the extra medical care the children required.

Everyone had a part to play, but groups sometimes forgot to invite the Shadow Minister when they were planning programmes, he said.

Many people infected with AIDS or HIV had financial and housing problems, Mr.

Bascome said. Agape House could only hold so many. And there were those who were still well enough to work but who were shunned by family and landlords.

In 1992, the Bermuda Housing Corporation had talked about fixing up derelict housing for both low-income people and those with AIDS, Mr. Bascome said.

"We've got to take those statements and put them into action.'' Mr. Bascome recently heard from a young man with AIDS who was forced to live in his family's basement and was sometimes unable to buy his medicine because his health care costs had quadrupled.

The man had worked for 20 years and felt he could be helped greatly if he could tap into his pension funds, Mr. Bascome said.

"I wonder how many of the young people who died have contributed to pension funds and pension plans,'' Mr. Bascome said. "Maybe we need to look at that and take some of those funds and move them toward assistance of those persons who are infected with AIDS.'' "That's a very good idea,'' Mr. Edness said.

Insurance also had to be looked at, Mr. Bascome said.

Mr. Bascome said current AIDS education programmes for children were good. His greatest concern was for people between the ages of 18 and 40, the highest risk group.

He said he thought free distribution of needles to cut down use of infected needles -- the easiest way to get AIDS -- was inappropriate for Bermuda.

"Let's not put fuel to the fire,'' he said. "Let's stay away from open distribution of needles.'' Mr. Edness, who had hinted at free distribution in a Friday newspaper story, said "I agree,'' from his seat across the floor.

Mr. Bascome said Health officials should be on the lookout for any new drugs for the suppression of HIV and any new testing techniques to detect the AIDS virus.

"If we can get early detection... we will be a long way down the road in combating this virus,'' he said.

Continued in Monday's newspaper.