Hiv And Aids : Aids

In South Africa, AIDS is one of the top causes of death. South Africa has the biggest AIDS/HIV epidemic in the world because of violence against women, poverty, and lack of education. Given this, “Africans account for nearly 70% of those who live with HIV and are dying of AIDS” (Morgenstern, Dr. Michael).

In The Invisible Cure, Helen Epstein talks about why HIV/AIDS rate is so high in Africa compared to the rest of the world. Through the book, she gives us an account of the disease and the struggles that many health experts and ordinary Africans went through to understand this disease, and how different African countries approached the same problem differently. Through this paper, I will first address the different ways Uganda and Southern African countries, South Africa and Botswana in particular, dealt with this epidemic, and then explain how we can use what we have learned from these African countries to control outbreaks of communicable disease elsewhere around the world.

The AIDS epidemic, from its beginning, has elicited a variety of responses from individuals and governments alike. Because the disease was originally shrouded in such mystery, many did not know how to react, which fostered a default fear of the unknown response. This attitude lead to many governments adopting a denialist policy, countless individuals living and eventually dying alone due to an unwillingness to report their illness for fear of consequence or prejudice, and this allowed the HIV virus flourish. Several countries responded efficiently and effectively to the presence of the HIV virus in their midst, while other countries maintained an attitude of ignorance. The latter position contributed to a huge expanse of the HIV epidemic

In the sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of the population suffers from HIV leading to AIDS. The culprits responsible for this epidemic include the lack of knowledge about the disease, disuse of condoms due to religious practices and the overall poor hygiene. If left untreated, the rampant surge of AIDS can terrribly impact the cost of their healthcare, the African economy and the welfare of the people. This implications justify immediately finding remedies to what ails the sub-Saharan population.

Since the discovery of the HIV virus in 1983, there have been many precautions taken to control and prevent the spreading of this deadly disease. Helen Epstein, who is the author of “AIDS Inc,” informs her readers about the sexually transmitted disease known as the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Epstein enlightens her audience with crucial information in regards to the ruthless disease that is devouring the lives of innocent people, typically in Africa, where people are especially prone to acquiring AIDS. South Africa, having one of the highest amounts of rape crimes in the world, is also home to the highest amount of people living with HIV in the world, at about

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 and AIDS plague in the world. Around 27.4% of people were living with HIV and AIDS in the year of 2013. Also, there were 1.1 million AIDS-related deaths and over 1.5 million new HIV infections in the same year. While Swaziland has the highest HIV prevalence worldwide, South Africa has the biggest epidemic out of any country.

Even though HIV has impacted the developed world, it has specifically targeted our impoverished communities and has decreased life expectancy in these areas to be an average of 20 years old. In addition, this chapter presents critical historical information and statistics to identify the origins of these diseases and the genuine numbers associated with it. This paper will explore HIV and AIDS as a disease. The first chapter will discuss the history associated with HIV and AIDS. The second chapter will explain the process of HIV and AIDS which includes the stages, symptoms and contraction. The third chapter explains the misconceptions and stereotypes of HIV and AIDS. The fourth chapter explores women and children with HIV and AIDS. Finally, the fifth chapter discusses the medical interventions and future at risk

At the end of 2009, an estimated 33.3 million people globally were living with HIV. In that year alone, there were an estimated 1.8 million AIDS-related deaths and 2.6 million new HIV infections. Data from 2009 shows that the AIDS epidemic is beginning to change course as the number of people newly infected with HIV is declining and AIDS –related deaths are decreasing. This is in large part due to more people living longer as access to antiretroviral theraphy increases, but these gains remain fragile and disparities continue to exist among countries and within countries. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region most affected with 69% of all new infections and in seven mostly Eastern European and Central Asian countries, new HIV infection rates have increased by 25%.

When it comes to HIV/AIDS, it is still today regarded as the most critical epidemic that affects a significant number of people in the world’s population. HIV statistics for the end of 2013 indicate that around 35 million people are currently living with HIV worldwide, 38 percent less than in 2001. In the same year, around 2.1 million people became infected with HIV and 1.5 million died of AIDS-related illnesses. HIV and AIDS are found in all parts of the world, however some areas are more affected than others (“Global HIV & AIDS Epidemic,” 2014).

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

Just about two decades ago, HIV/AIDS pandemic was the only thing that is mentioned in social media (Gus “Introduction to HIV/AIDS”). Proved to be originally from Sub Saharan Africa (S.S Africa) region, HIV/AIDS has spread throughout not only the S.S. Africa, but it eventually becomes the global disaster in the late 20th century (Gus). HIV/AIDS has gained attention from the media when the death many patients by the new emerging disease is reported in Europe and US (Satpathy 27). However, these cases directly refer to S.S. Africa because infected patients either are originally from or have travelled around this region (Satpathy 28). In addition, out of 1000 blood samples result taken in Kinshasa in 1970s, scientists have found HIV positive among these blood sample (Satpathy 28). This means that HIV/AIDS have been circulating around this region for at least 10 to 12 years since HIV is an asymptomatic disease (Satpathy 41). However, the HIV/AIDS only becomes an epidemic in S.S. Africa around the late 20th century, shown in statistics that are taken from UNAIDS: Progress Report 1996-1997. Many people blame the poverty in S.S.Africa as the cause for letting this deadly disease out of control. Others criticize the African government for avoiding the responsibility of suppressing this epidemic. Certainly, in order to prevent a further pandemic, we need to study the actual explanation of this epidemic. This arises the question: Why did HIV/AIDS become an epidemic in the late 20th

Overall, the crisis of HIV/AIDS, especially in sub-Saharan Africa is still a major issue. Perhaps the biggest factor is that developed nations have become fairly complacent when considering the disease, as not only has its prevalence dropped significantly in most areas, but treatment through anti-retroviral regimens has managed to increase an infected person’s lifespan to a level almost matching an uninfected person’s average lifespan. Those in sub-Saharan Africa face several key issues with this disease. A lack of education regarding HIV/AIDS and a lack of health care facilities and medication to combat HIV/AIDS are perhaps two of the largest. The country unfortunately faces an upcoming crisis, with the youngest generation’s parents and caregivers becoming too sick or succumbing to the disease before vital education, such as the ability to farm a landscape suffering from desertification, is passed on (Sowing Seeds of Hunger).

The answers to the questions above are much easier said than done. The majority of the people with HIV/AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa (Figure 1) (13). As of 2013, 39 million people have died since this disease was brought to light in the early 1980s (13). Even though this disease has been at the forefront of research for decades, scientific advances in the field have been slow to come about. There is no cure for the disease; however new antiretroviral treatments have allowed the virus replication to be controlled at a more manageable level (8). There have been concentrated global efforts to spread these drugs through the crisis areas of the disease, but efforts have not always been successful.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the region of the world that is most affected by HIV/AIDS. The United Nations reports that an estimated 25.4 million people are living with HIV and that approximately 3.1 million new infections occurred in 2004. To put these figures in context, more than 60 percent of the people living with the infection reside in Africa. Even these staggering figures do not quite capture the true extent and impact that this disease causes on the continent. In 1998, about 200,000 Africans died as a result of various wars taking place on the continent. In that same year, more than 2 million succumbed to HIV/AIDS (Botchwey, 2000).