An investigation into factors contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Southern African Region - Dissertation Example

The reason for the above statement is that, majority of young adults get infected before they celebrate their 25th birthday and pass away before reaching 35 years. AIDS is a threat to the young adults in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana. Questions keep arising why South Africa is unable to contain the pandemic despite it being the most stable and more developed African region. The answers to these queries are very complex and dynamic in nature. Instability and poverty being the main HIV/AIDS perpetuator, in South Africa they are not the main causes of the spread of HIV/AIDS.

On the other hand, Botswana being the remarkably peaceful, wealthy and stable country, it exhibits high rates of HIV/AIDS infection rate in the globe. Extreme levels of income inequalities, rapid mobility and urbanization are factors triggering the wide spread of HIV/AIDS in these region. The viable basis for the transmission of HIV/AIDS has been enhanced through the social cohesion breakdown among families, communities and societies. The breakdown has been caused by political instability, war and conflict since the independence period (Finnegan 1993, p.426). For instance, the breaking down of South African families is as a result of the apartheid policy, labor system that advocates for migration, transport systems that are effective and sufficient resulting to high mobility in the population, the large income inequalities and education levels that are low.

Furthermore, factors such as high prostitution levels and diseases that are sexually transmitted, condom use resistance and society norms that advocates for an individual having higher figure of sexual partners has contributed greatly to the spread of the disease. Among the Southern Africa countries it is evident that South Africa faces. This essay discusses that HIV/AIDs remain an epidemic among all humans in the world. The first cases of HIV were reported in 1981. The prevalence of this disease varies across nations with Southern African region showing the highest prevalence rates.

Each day people continue to contract this disease while others are dying. Since the first cases were reported about 25 million people have already died of the disease. Moreover, in 2007, 2.7 million people in the contracted HIV virus all over the world. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDs (UNAIDs) and World Health Organization observed that in December 2001, approximately forty million women, men and children had contracted HIV/AIDs with 28.1 million living in Sub-Saharan Africa. The worst hit countries by the epidemic of HIV are countries with the southern cone of Africa such as South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Botswana leads in the rates of infection worldwide posting a record of 38.8 percent. This statistics are shocking given the fact that AIDs came to Africa towards the end of the 20th century. In addition, most countries within the southern African region are more developed than the rest of Africa therefore calling for the other risk behaviors that enhance the spread of the disease in the continent. From a review of different books and journals several behaviors have been identified as the factors that have enhanced spread of AIDs within the Southern Africa.

Risk factors are practices that predispose one to contracting HIV/AIDs.