HIV and AIDS in Great History in Africa - Essay Example

HIV and AIDS in Africa Introduction The rate at which HIV/AIDS pandemic is spreading throughout Africa has instigated research specialist to endeavor in finding out the causes of spread and intervention methods as medical specialists and scientist seek to find possible modes of prevention and cure. Currently, Africa hosts about 15 per cent of the world’s population, however, 70 percent of world’s victims are in Africa. In 2009, 72 percent of the world’s death because of AIDS came solely from Africa. The sub-Saharan part of Africa has more AIDS victims than any other part in the world (Douglas 2). The area has about 22.9 million victims of HIV and AIDS. This is approximately two thirds of the world’s AIDS victims. In 2010 only, about 1.2 million persons died in the region out of AIDS and 1.9 million persons became infected with HIV the same year. Since the detection of the HIV in the world and its declaration as a pandemic, more than 14.8 million children have lost either one or both of the parents because of AIDS in the sub-Saharan region. Origin of AIDS HIV and AIDS have a great history in Africa. It links its cause to the West Africa. The dominant feature is silent on the dire cause. However, hypothesis links the origin of the disease in Africa with the consumption of the bush meat or literally sexual contact with a monkey. This last hypothesis meets a lot of skepticism from the Africans who term the allegation as an uncommon practice in their tradition. The most current hypothesis include a colonial medical practice in the mid of 20th century (Cohen 412). The hypothesis claims that a virus jumped from a chimpanzee or an ape to human. The virus spread and became established among the human population in around 1930. This is the most probable time when the disease began because traces of the disease are rooted back in the colonial period in the rubber plantations, but there is no substantial ground to hold this (Morrison 89). Another unique type of HIV virus was isolated from some AIDS victims of West Africa and named as HIV-2. The new virus had same modes of transmission as the original version. However, the sufferer of the new mode of disease develops the symptoms more slowly and mildly, as compared to those of HIV-1 (the original mode of HIV virus). Therefore, HIV-2 was comparatively less infectious and serious on the body of the sufferer (Essex 517). The duration of the disease is, however, long for the victims of the HIV-2. The incidences of HIV-2 are predominant in countries like the republic of Botswana, Congo, and Burkina Faso. The fist case of the HIV -2 was in the Western countries in 1987, specifically in the United States. Since then statistics conducted around the world have established that the prevalence of the HIV-2 is to be higher than the HIV-1 in a few decades. Jonny Steinberg Jonny Steinberg is a journalist and an author. Steinberg in his writings has covered a lot on the issues of HIV and AIDS in his homeland, which is South Africa. He wrote the novel titled A Young Man’s Journey through AIDS Pandemic. In this book, Steinberg explored the exact cause of the HIV and AIDS. He made numerous experiments and tests. He then, out of many trials on the form of the disease existence, came up with prevention measures. Steinberg was interested in the willful ignorance of the people in South Africa (Douglas 18). He was against the common belief in South Africa that people should only eat better, drink and have sex for that good life. Steinberg established that in South Africa, in every eight persons one is a sufferer of the disease. The recent survey in South Africa found that the number of burials conducted within a specific time was twice that of a wedding (Morrison 76). These findings made the organized groups of South Africa push the government hardly to distribute antiretroviral drugs to the citizens. In the Sizwe’s test, Steinberg asked why it was that the country recorded so many deaths out of AIDS. He also wondered why so many South Africans were not ready to test for the virus. Spread of AIDS in Africa HIV and AIDS victims develop stigma and lower their esteem. They feel isolated from the larger community. Many African governments are now starting to realize the magnitude of the malady and dismissing some critics about the disease that do not hold. The pervasive silence surrounding the HIV and AIDS pandemic in the sub-Saharan countries has a limited public discussion due to the continued increase in the stigma for those infected (Cohen 484). Some cultural and religious beliefs also do not allow an open discussion on the causes and prevalence of HIV in Africa. Some faiths in the world and specifically in Africa have a common belief that AIDS is a punishment from a supernatural power over the sexual promiscuity. AIDS has a direct connection to tourism and investment and thus most of the developing countries fare discussion about the issue because it may directly affect the tourism industry hence lowering of the foreign income. In Africa, some cultural beliefs have accelerated the spread of HIV and AIDS practices that expose some members at the risk of contracting the disease. Polygamy, for instance, is one of the most common social practices in the African countries. The practice, in most cases, endorses in order for one to exhibit social status or to ensure continuity of families and prevent social crimes like prostitution. The practice is rampant in Kenya, Ghana, Senegal and Zimbabwe. In areas where polygamy is not recognized, men have several sex partners and/or employ sex workers. The communities that practice polygamy hold that men are to have sex with many women (Essex 632). A common myth among the African communities is that men can rid themselves of AIDS for having sex with young virgins. These beliefs have exposed very many young girls to the risk of undergoing rape. A research conducted by the Mitsunaga and associates found that, men who have multiple wives have high risk of having extramarital sex as opposed to those who practice monogamy. Wife inheritance is also another very common practice in the sub-Saharan countries. The common belief in these countries is that wife is a man’s property including the children and other assets. Therefore, in case the husband dies, the woman has no choice but to marry the younger brother of the husband if at all she wishes to continue being a member of the same family (Douglas 27). In case the woman disputes, exclusion from being a member of that family is the immediate step and left to take care of the children on her own. This practice exposes the two parties at the risk of contracting AIDS. This is because the diseased could have left the malady to the wife or the younger brother could posses the disease and then transmits it to the widow. African Response to HIV and AIDS The course of study of HIV and AIDS in Africa is oriented to women (Morrison 107). In most of the African communities women are often underrated and this has changed their way of thinking about themselves. Far from that, all members of the society should work together to lower if not end the rate at which the AIDS virus is spreading. Securing legislation of law and policies that affirm the rights of women can be an important step towards elimination and reduction of the spread of AIDS. The government has from time to time declared its commitment to raising the status of women on the acknowledgement of their linkage to HIV. The national HIV response should support women’s equality within or without home boundaries. Some African countries have passed bills against domestic violence, equality in marriage, and HIV related discrimination (Cohen 504). The parliaments and the NON-governmental organizations should lobby for the implementation of international agreements on matters of gender and equality. They should also look at the protection of women’s human rights and for passing of law that uphold the same. Policies on matters that protect children from HIV prevalence are necessary for eliminating AIDS prevalence among young persons. In most of the developing countries too little is done to ensure that children receive the services they require sufficiently. The parliamentarians should demonstrate their leadership roles by keeping the generation free of infection of AIDS through unintentional means. They should introduce reforms and legislation that define protection and care for the orphans (Essex 671). The parliamentarians should also advocate policies that prevent discrimination against the unprivileged such as the orphans and the widows. The protection should be against abuse, violence and discrimination. The government should call for adequate information to the youth about sex and sexuality and the reproductive health as well. The young persons are sexually active, thus they would like to experiment on some sexual adventures. Comprehensive sexual education is necessary for them in order to reduce their risk of contracting HIV and AIDS (Douglas 34). Some social groups such as the drug users, commercial sex workers, homosexuals, and prisoners are vulnerable to contracting HIV and AIDS. The concerned personnel should provide support and prevention measures for men who have sex with fellow men. This is because the mode severely infects the group with HIV. The needs of these groups have great neglect in the society an event that has a serious effect on their exposure to HIV and AIDS. People who inject drugs into their bodies should be educated primarily on the health effect and the relationship between drug abuse and HIV contraction. Adequate access to treatment, care, and support necessary to the sex workers should be. The parliamentarians should acknowledge the fact that sex workers have the same human rights as any other person. If possible, criminalizing the commercial sex acts can be a fundamental HIV prevention program among the sex workers. International organizations and NGOs should look into the matter of Africa and give their help if possible. Some bodies have proved helpful on existing conditions of Africa. The WHO and UNAIDS have been supplying million of tons of condoms and advocating their use (Karim 189). The UNAIDS has declared that the male latex condom is very effective in prevention of AIDS transmission. However, the main problem that the condom education and usage faces is the religious interference. Some religious beliefs, for example the Catholic Church, dispute the use of condoms. Their main claim is that condom usage encourages premarital sex and lowers infidelity among married couples. The full spectrum of options for the treatment of opportunistic infections in developing countries is in terms of cost effectiveness. Because of their effect on both the efficacy of treatment and on life expectancy, the antiretroviral therapy has general recommendation to the HIV victims (Gebre 159). A combined therapy with multiple antiretroviral lengthens life of an individual whereas mono therapies have a year or less additional. Several clinical tests provide different effects of the antiretroviral; however, tests are on going to establish the most effective form of ARVs. Conclusion In conclusion, this paper, supported by the several studies cited proof that HIV infection has a substantial burden to all age groups. This has led to substantial increase in the number of hospital admissions as well as in-hospital deaths. As a result, immediate actions could be necessary on the verge to eliminate the adverse effects of AIDS. Educating the members of the society can be an effective method of creating awareness. Rehabilitation centers for the sex workers and drug addicts can be an appropriate method of reducing HIV prevalence among the groups. Some religious beliefs that do not hold should be discouraged if not wiped out (Essex 720). The governments of the various countries should discourage some cultural beliefs that do not have respect for rights of other individuals or gender. According to J.L powers in his book This Thing Called the Future wrote that in order to live a world free of AIDS the fear to talk about the should be no more. He emphasizes on the role of the parent in helping reduce the disease prevalence among the youths. The general suggestion of Powers seems to be awareness to heal the AIDS trouble in the continent. Works Cited Bongmba, Elias. Facing a Pandemic. Texas: Baylor University Press, 2007. Print. Cohen, Judah, and Gregory Barz. The Culture of AIDS in Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print. Committee on Envisioning a Strategy for the Long-Term Burden of HIV/AIDS. African Needs and U.S. Interests, Institute of Medicine. Preparing for the Future of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Washington D.C.: National Academies Press, 2011. Print. Douglas, Stephen. If I Had a Million Dollars-- I'd Ease the Pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Mills High Town: Dundurn Press Ltd., 2004. Print. Essex, Myron. AIDS in Africa. New York: Springer, 2002. Print. Gebre, Ayalew, and Donald Mwiturubani. Youth, HIV/AIDS and Social Transformations in Africa. Oxford : African Books Collective, 2009. Print. Karim, Quarraisha, and Abdol Karim. HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print. Morrison, Stephen. Rising U.S. Stakes in Africa. Ottawa: CSIS, 2004. Print. Mpofu, Stanley, and Sabo Indabawa. The Social Context of Adult Learning in Africa. Johannesburg: Pearson South Africa, 2006. Print. Read More