HIV/AIDS IN NIGERIA
Introduction
The first case of HIV was reported in 1981 and since then, it has spread rapidly turning into a pandemic (WHO 2014). Thirty-five million people currently live with HIV worldwide and 2.1 million deaths were recorded in 2013 (WHO 2014). HIV in the WHO African region is the highest in the world as the continent bears 70% of the disease burden (WHO AFRO 2013). In 2013, 24 million people in Africa were reported to be living with HIV. One of the high burden countries in this region is Nigeria and it ranks as the second highest after South Africa (WHO AFRO 2013). Despite the efforts on the international and local fronts to curb this epidemic, the continuous rise in new cases has shown that more needs to be done.
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Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is the terminal stage of the HIV infection however with essential treatment not every infected individual gets to this stage. HIV is transmitted through transfusion of infected blood, sexual intercourse, sharing contaminated needles, during childbirth from mother to child and during breastfeeding (WHO 2014).
Nigeria has an estimated population of 174 million people and 3.7% of this population are living with HIV/AIDS. Two hundred and ten thousand people died as a result of HIV/AIDS in 2011 (UNAID 2012). The first case of HIV in Nigeria was reported in 1986 and since then several programmes have been planned and implemented (NACA 2014). Nevertheless we are nowhere near eliminating the emergence of incidence cases considering the fact that there is no available cure for the disease (WHO AFRO 2013). Despite this, a reduction in prevalence was observed from 5.8% in 2001 to 4.1 % in 2010 and it highlights that it is possible to reduce prevalence by preventing the continuous transmission of the disease (NACA 2014). Therefore, there is need to restructure the existing policies and adopt new approaches to tackling this burdensome public health concern in Nigeria.
Knowledge and awareness of HIV among the Nigerian population is very high based on the report of Lammers et al. (2013) where it was reported that 89.5% of Nigerians are aware of HIV. However, only 5.3% of this
Nearly three decades ago, there was an increase in deaths of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Developing countries have experienced the greatest HIV/AIDS morbidity and mortality, with the highest prevalence rates recorded in young adults in sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa over three million people are killed by this disease (Macfarlene3). After this epidemic spreaded in Africa and killed people it branched out to other countries in the world.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection is a long-term (chronic) viral infection. HIV kills white blood cells that help to control the body's defense system (immune system) and fight infection. HIV spreads through semen, pre-seminal fluid, blood, breast milk, rectal fluid, and vaginal fluid. HIV is commonly spread through sexual contact and sharing needles or syringes, because these behaviors involve exchanging bodily fluids. Without treatment, HIV can turn into AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), an advanced stage of HIV infection. AIDS is a very serious illness and can be life-threatening.
Since its identification approximately two decades ago, HIV has increasingly spread globally, surpassing expectations (1). The number of people living with HIV worldwide is estimated to be 36 million, with 20 million people having died from the disease, giving a total number of 56 million being infected (1). In 2000 alone, 5.3 million people were infected with HIV and there is potential for further spread. HIV infection rates vary all over the world with the highest rates in Sub-Saharan Africa (1). Responding to this epidemic has been a challenge as infection rates have increased worldwide despite tremendous public health efforts by nations (1). The identification of potential interventions to reduce the magnitude of the problem has
Acquired Immune-Deficiency Syndrome, which is popularly known as AIDS is a deadly disease as it attacks and adversely destroys body’s immune system. AIDS is brought about by a virus called Human Immune-Deficiency Virus, better known as HIV. This virus is minute, even invisible to a powerful microscope and can remain in the body for years without showing any visible symptoms. AIDS is the final stage of infection of the virus. It takes a period of about 10 years between being infected with HIV developing AIDS. The first case of AIDS infection in America was detected in 1959. Later, AIDS emerged as a fatal widespread disease in the 1980s in almost all countries in the world. This started with
In addition to being the largest nation in Africa, Nigeria is one of the most populous nations in sub-Saharan Africa with 178 million people (World Bank n.d). With approximately 50% (World Bank, n.d.) of the population living outside the urban cities, Nigerians experience barriers to accessing health care in the remote rural areas. Furthermore, the high percentage of Nigerians living in poverty, 70% (NationMaster, 2015), provides for financial problems
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS is a pandemic problem affecting global health. At the end of 2015, 36.7 million people were living with HIV/AIDS globally. The rate of incidence is more prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa with almost 1 in every 24 adults living with HIV/AIDS. In the united states, HIV/AIDS is a diversified health problem affecting all sexes, ages and races and involving the transmission of multiple risk behavior. However, with the introduction of various prevention programs and antiretroviral drugs, the incidence of HIV/AIDS has reduced.
Over the last two decades, Nigeria's healthcare system has deteriorated as a result of political instability, corruption and a mismanaged economy. Large parts of the country lack even basic healthcare provision, making it difficult to establish HIV testing and prevention services
In 2011 there were an estimated 23.5 million people living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. 1 This rate has increased since 2009, when an estimated 22.5 million people were existing with Aids, as well as 2.3 million children. 2 In 2012, more than 1.1-million individuals were believed to have dies from AIDS-related
has approximately seventy percent of the people living with HIV. In 2011 there were 23,500,000 people living with HIV, and 1,200,000 annual AIDS deaths. The new HIV infections are 1,800,000 annually. (1) This disease is world wide and not just isolated to Sub-Saharan Africa, however, with the data from researcher's it does have the highest prevalence of the disease. There is world wide efforts in combating the spread, and research that is ongoing to try to irradiate this terrible disease. This disease may cause the extinction of mankind if we as a society are unable to control and find a cure. There are so many factors that play a role in the process of this disease, but the issues of poverty within the HIV population needs to be addressed.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the most serious HIV/AIDS epidemic in the world. In 2013, an estimated 24.7 million people were living with HIV, accounting for 71% of the global total. In the same year, there were an estimated 1.5 million new HIV infections and 1.1 million AIDS-related deaths. The second largest country most impacted by HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa is Lesotho.
The World Health Organization’s Global Health Observatory estimates that 78 million people have been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during the course of the epidemic, and that 39 million men, women, and children have died.1 Nearly 1 in 20 adults in sub-Saharan Africa are currently living with the infection. HIV represents one of the world’s most serious health problems.
The virus began its insidious spread through the country’s various populations and communities. The virus systematically spread through the entire Nigerian social fabric, affecting men and women across all social strata. Nigeria is located in West Africa with a population of more than 170 million people (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). It is diverse country with more than 374 ethnic groups, 500 indigenous languages, and various religions (National Population Commission (NPC), 2009). When the Nigerian public was informed about the presence of this virus in their country, they were doubtful and astonished. AIDS was perceived to be a American disease. Adolescents were very sceptical about the virus in their environment. They interpreted it
HIV, on the other hand, constitutes another major global public health issue. It is estimated that, so far, more than 34 million people have died from the disease(2,3). In 2014, 1.2 (980.000-1.6 million) million deaths were attributed to HIV-related causes(2). The most HIV-affected region is Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for almost 70% of the global total of new HIV cases(2,4). In 2014, 25.8
The African countries south of the Sahara have some of the best HIV surveillance systems in the world. They provide solid evidence that the HIV infection rate has stabilized at a relatively low level in Senegal and that the extremely high rates in Uganda have been reduced. However, in most sub-Saharan countries adults and children are acquiring HIV at a higher rate than ever before: the number of new infections in the
HIV is a virus that is spread almost all over the world. Although in some places health care isn’t as developed and therefore it spreads more in those regions. Sub-Saharan Africa holds more than 70%, 25 million, of all HIV positive people in the world. Second highest is Eastern Europe together with Central Asia with 1.3 million. It is spread over most of the world, including Asia and the Pacific, the Caribbean, Central and South America, North Africa and the Middle East and Western and Central Europe (“The Regional Picture”).