The United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS - Essay Example

AIDS/Disease Internet Search World Health Organization. “HIV/AIDS.” WHO Media Center, Fact Sheet No. 360, November http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs360/en/index.html (Retrieved 29 May, 2012). The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that HIV is among the “world’s leading infectious killers” with over 25 million people dying from HIV over the past 30 years (World Health Organization, 2011). As of 2010 about 34 million people worldwide were HIV positive. WHO (2011) also reports that although HIV can be detected by clinical tests, there is no cure for HIV. However HIV can be treated by virtue of antiretroviral medication so that those infected with HIV can live relatively normal lives. As of 2010 approximately 6.6 million people with HIV were being treated by antiretroviral drugs in developing countries although 7 million persons with HIV had not yet received treatment (World Health Organization, 2011). WHO (2011) describes what HIV is and how it is transmitted. Essentially HIV is described as a disease which breaks down the infected person’s immune system making the infected individual vulnerable to infections and cancer. The infected individual is unable to fight off diseases and infections and within 10-15 years the AIDS which the most advanced form of HIV develops which is characterised by the development of specific cancer types and serious infections/diseases. WHO (2011) sets out the behavioral changes that individuals can make to minimize the risk of contracting HIV. For the most part this involves responsible sexual behaviour. United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS. “Press Statement: Bold New Targets Set by World Leaders for 2015.” UNAIDS, June 10th, 2011). http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/pressreleaseandstatementarchive/2011/june/20110610psdeclaration/ (Retrieved 29 May, 2012). The United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) (2011) reports the details of a meeting in which world leaders participated in 2011. The meeting resulted in a Political Declaration by various officials representing several states. The Political Declaration includes commitments by state officials to reduce or eliminate the “sexual transmission of HIV and halving HIV” on the part of those who become infected by drug use (United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, 2011). UNAIDS (2011) also reports that world leaders at the 2011 meeting agreed to take the necessary steps for reducing new cases of HIV infections in children within 5 years. World leaders also agreed to ensure that more people with HIV have access to treatment. The target number is 15 million. Essentially, the Political Declaration commits UN member states to intensify their efforts to reduce the number of HIV infections, to broaden the scope of available treatment and to target groups who are more vulnerable to HIV infections by a specific date (United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, 2011). The World Bank. “Characterising the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa.” The World Bank, June 2010. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22632787~pagePK:146736~piPK:146830~theSitePK:256299,00.html (Retrieved May 29th, 2012). Although information relative to HIV/AIDS is readily available and accessible, information on HIV/AIDS is scarce in the Middle East and South Africa (MENA). The World Bank, together with UNAIDS and WHO have come together to ensure that information relative to HIV/AIDS is spread throughout MENA. The World Bank also notes that HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives in MENA typically targets the general population and significantly avoids targeting populations that are at an increased risk of contracting HIV/AIDS (The World Bank, 2010). The World Bank notes that there is a need for shifting focus and amplifying efforts to inform populations at risk to change behaviour that makes them vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. In addition, the appropriate authorities in MENA must implement effective surveillance techniques to assess populations at risk and the environmental and/or behavioral factors that make these populations at an increased risk of contracting HIV/AIDS (The World Bank, 2010). UNICEF United States Fund. “Join Our Fights Against AIDS.” UNICEF, United States Fund. 2012. http://www.unicefusa.org/work/hivaids/?gclid=CIyj1fiNprACFQc5nAodhDNtYw (Retrieved May 29th, 2012). UNICEF United States Fund (2012) reports that as a result of joint efforts by WHO, UNICEF and UNAIDS access to treatment for HIV “has resulted in a 15% reduction of new infections” over the past ten years and “22% decline in AIDS-related deaths” over the “last five years” (UNICEF United States Fund, 2012). However, with the goal of eliminating AIDS by 2015, efforts must be intensified to reach more women and children (UNICEF United States Fund, 2012). UNICEF United States Fund (2012) is especially concerned about the impact of HIV on children. The impact can be either direct or indirect. Children themselves are infected by HIV/AIDS or become orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS. UNICEF United States Fund (2012) therefore aims to prevent the risk of mothers transferring HIV/AIDS to children worldwide; providing liberal access to HIV/AIDS treatment for children; preventing infection among children; and providing protection and support for children with HIV/AIDS (UNICEF United States Fund, 2012). United Nations. “World AIDS Day: Getting to Zero”. UN World AIDS Day, December 1st, 2011. http://www.un.org/en/events/aidsday/2011/ (Retrieved May 29th, 2012). The UN’s World AIDS Day on December 1, 2011 is themed “Getting to Zero” (United Nations, 2011). Getting to Zero targets eliminating new cases of HIV, and “zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths” (United Nations, 2011). Getting to Zero is slated to last until 2015 and follows on the heels of the previous World AIDS day themed “Light for Rights” (United Nations, 2011). The theme for World AIDS Day 2011 is influenced by the fact that only a third of the world’s 15 million HIV infected persons have access to treatment. Moreover, new infection outnumber the persons receiving treatment and resources are increasingly declining. Getting to Zero therefor targets 10 specific goals: reducing sexually transmitted HIV infections; reducing HIV//AIDS related deaths; preventing HIV infections via drug use; global access to HIV/AIDS antiretroviral treatment; reducing HIV/AIDS’ TB infections; national efforts to support HIV homes and individuals; ensuring that laws and practices do not discriminate or allow for discrimination against HIV infected individuals; elimination of barriers to permitting residence and entry of HIV infected individuals; targeting the needs of HIV infected women; and “zero tolerance for gender-based violence” (United Nations, 2011). UNICEF. “Children and HIV and AIDS”. UNICEF. 2008. http://www.unicef.org/aids/index_epidemic.html (Retrieved May 29th, 2012). AIDS attacks children, their family members and their communities and the institutions that are intended to provide protection and services for safeguarding the well-being of children. AIDS has demonstrated that it has no boundaries and has infiltrated every part of the globe infecting and impacting all people regardless of age, gender, status, location or sexual preferences (UNICEF, 2008). Some parts of the world have experience the global AIDS epidemic to a lesser extent than other parts of the world. In these parts of the world, AIDS is confined to high risk groups such as prostitutes, homosexuals, prisoners and intravenous drug users. In other parts of the world such as parts of Asia, Central America and Sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS is characterized as an epidemic in that unprecedented portions of the population are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS (UNICEF, 2008). UN News Center. “AIDS Epidemic at Critical Juncture in Asia-Pacific Regions, Says new UN Report.” UN News Service. August 26th, 2011. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=39387&Cr=hiv&Cr1=aids (Retrieved May 29th, 2012). The UN News Center (2011) reported that AIDS in Asia and the Pacific is an epidemic with more than 4.9 million persons infected with HIV in Asia and the Pacific as of 2009. The epidemic persist despite the a decrease of 20 % in new infection from 2001-2009 and access to HIV treatment has tripled as of 2006. In particular, India, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia have intensified efforts to prevent HIV infections among prostitutes (UN News Center, 2011). Despite improvements in some parts of Africa and Asia, there remains a lack of focus on populations that are at a higher risk of contracting and spreading HIV/AIDS. Moreover, funding relative to heightening awareness and providing treatment is insufficient in terms of both national and international “sources” (UN News Center, 2011). Moreover, there is a need for scientific information and responses to the AIDS epidemic in the regions (UN News Center, 2011). UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update. “Asia”. UNAIDS/WHO. December 2005. http://www.unaids.org/epi/2005/doc/epiupdate2005_html_en/epi05_06_en.htm (Retrieved May 29th, 2012). According to UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update (2005) HIV infections in Asia are relative low when compared to HIV infection in Africa. Even so, the large populations in most of Asia’s countries gives rise to significant concern. The reality is, although there is a lower HIV population infection in ASIA, there are still “large numbers of people living with HIV” in Asia (UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update, 2005). Risk behavior, or behavior that makes members of the population vulnerable to HIV infection or HIV transmission continues to be a problem in Asia. For the most part risky behavior throughout Asia is characterized by commercialized drug and sex trade. Complicating matters, prevention policies do no often target these types of risky behaviours (UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update, 2005). Literature Review Gayle, H. “Curbing the Global AIDS Epidemic.” New England Journal of Medicine. May 1st, 2003, Vol. 348: 1802-1805. Although some governments have pledged significant funding to fighting and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, there is a prevalent attitude that nothing much can be done about HIV/AIDS infections. The only option is to “wait and hope that AIDS will eventually burn itself out” (Gayle, 2003, p. 1802). By taking this approach, efforts to take advantage of the available information, services and medicine for fighting AIDS infections are ignored. In order to reverse, eliminate, prevent and treat the number of HIV infections, the available resources need to be embraced and assessable. As it is only between 10 and 20% of individuals who are at risk have access to “preventive services” (Gayle, 2003, p. 1803). It is therefore hardly surprising that HIV/AIDS is a global epidemic and unless attitudes and strategies change, HIV/AIDS will continue to be an epidemic into the unforeseeable future (Gayle, 2003). Germain, A. “Women and the Global AIDS Epidemic.” The Lanclet, February 14, 2009, Vol. 373(9663): 544. In parts of the world where HIV/AIDS has reached a crisis point, significantly more women are infected by HIV/AIDS than men. For instance in Sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 76% of people between the ages of 15 and 14 with HIV/AIDS are women and girls. Even so, there have been criticisms that focusing on prevention programs targeting women can only detract or direct attention away from men or boys who are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection (Germain, 2009). Germain (2009) argues however, that targeting women is logical since they represent the largest number of HIV/AIDS infections in countries where HIV/AIDS is an epidemic. Obviously, the disproportionate rate of female infections puts more children and other members of the population at a greater risk than the relatively smaller number of men infected. While all members of the population who are HIV/AIDS infected require attention, common sense directs that priority should be given to the group with the highest number of infections (Germain, 2009). Coriat, B. “An Introduction: A New Stage in the Fight against the HIV/AIDS Pandemic – An Economic Perspective.” In Coriat, B. (Ed.). The Political Economy of HIV/AIDS in Developing Countries. Cheltenham, Glos.: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, 2008. World leaders have generally agreed that the first order of business for combating the global AIDS epidemic is to ensure that medical treatment is universally assessable and available. Many initiatives have been led by the UN and WHO member states with the aim of promoting this objective. However, given the disparity of resources among nations, it would appear that the only way of realistically achieving the goal of universal access to HIV/AIDS is to make medical treatment free to everyone (Coriat, 2008). Before universal access to HIV/AIDS medicine/drugs can be obtained researchers and policy-makers are required to take account of three main issues: the availability of these drugs in specific regions; the price of these drugs in specific areas; and the financial resources of specific countries. Moreover, in making these drugs available, attention must be focused on targeting risky behaviour to prevent new cases of HIV/AIDS infections so that liberal access to medicine does not compromise efforts to eliminate or at the very least reduce the level of AIDS infections globally (Coriat, 2008). Staff Reporter. “The History of AIDS: Heroes and Villains.” The Economist, June 2nd, 2011. http://www.economist.com/node/18772268 (Retrieved May 29th, 2012). AIDS was discovered thirty years ago and remains a controversial subject. There is even controversy over who discovered AIDS. American Robert Gallo claims to have discovered AIDS while French Luc Montagnier claims to have discovered AIDS. Scientists also seem to disagree on whether or not HIV is the root cause of AIDs or is merely “ a passenger that took advantage of an immune system weakened by another cause” (Staff Reporter, 2011). Even so, there are many who might be characterised as heroes in terms of promoting AIDS awareness and pioneering behavioral changes. For instance Bill Gates contributed significant funding to an AIDS foundation and partnered with Botswana, one of the world’s most critical AIDS regions. Also George Bush Jr. established the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PREFAR) and made certain that it was adequately funded. PREFAR provides funding to other parts of the world where funding is lacking (Staff Reporter, 2011). UNAIDS and WHO. “A History of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic With Emphasis on Africa.” UN/POP/MORT/2003/2: 1-12. UNAIDS and WHO (2003) documents a history of HIV/AIDS and acknowledges when AIDS first materialised in 1981 it was associated with homosexuals in the US. However, two years later, HIVC materialised and by 1985 it was largely accepted that HIV/AIDS was spreading around the globe. It is largely accepted today that HIV/AIDS knows no boundaries and has it “own origins” in the context of geographical location, populations, and invariably “involve different types of frequencies of risk behaviors and practices” (UNAIDS and WHO, 2003, p. 1). For the most part, HIV/AIDS originated among homosexual sexual intercourse and early on intravenous drug users were identified as populations at risk. With the spread of HIV/AIDS globally, it has become obvious that everyone engaging in risky behaviour can become infected with HIV/AIDS regardless of sexual orientation and or intravenous drug use. Moreover, children are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection (UNAIDS and WHO, 2003). Boone, C. and Batsell, J. “Politics and AIDS in Africa: Research Agenda in Political Science and International Relations.” Africa Today, Summer 2001, Vol. 48(2): 3-33. HIV/AIDS is now largely characterised as a “major social and economic crisis in much of the developing world” and a “public policy crisis of virtually unprecedented proportions” (Boone & Batsell, 2001, p. 3). Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest incidents of HIV/AIDS infections in the world. Approximately 23 million people were estimated to be infected with either full blown AIDS or HIV as of 2001. In 1998m more than 2.2 million people on the continent dies of AIDS with the result that AIDS claimed more lives than any War in the area (Boon & Batsell, 2001). The high degree of HIV/AIDS infections in Africa calls attention to the role that politics potentially plays in terms of preventing effective treatment and prevention programs. Boone and Batsell (2001) recommend examining the relationship between governments and non-governmental organizations, how AIDS may be a result of modernization policies that Africans citizens are ill-prepared to adjust to and the extent to which AIDS is viewed as a threat to international security (Boone & Batsell, 2001). Fassin, D. “The Politics of AIDS in South Africa: Beyond the Controversies.” British Medical Journal, 2003: 326-495. In 2000, South African President Thabo Mbeki publically expressed doubts about the AIDS crisis in South Africa, reservations about the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy and was slow to implement transmission prevention medical treatment. Moreover, Mbeki took the position that women were the primary spreaders of HIV/AIDS. It took a court order to make antiretroviral drugs available to the population and nevirapine to prevent pregnant women transmitting AIDS to their babies (Fassin, 2003). By the end of 2002, an observable “new era” relative to the issue of the AIDS epidemic in South Africa was introduced. Finally, AIDS could be debated in South Africa without resort to political choices. It was no longer an issue of whether or not proponents of AIDS medical treatment were supporters of the President. The fact is, AIDS reached a crisis point in South Africa at a time when its President sought to politicise it and sweep AIDS under the rug by downplaying its seriousness and questioning helpful scientific and medical information (Fassin, 2003). Parker, R. “The Global HIV/AIDS Pandemic, Structural Inequalities, and the Politics of International Health.” American Journal of Public Health. March 2002, Vol. 92(3): 343-346. There have been significant advances in the treatment and support for HIV/AIDS infected individuals. Much of this care and treatment has become available in developed countries and is becoming increasingly available to developing countries. However, obvious inequities has resulted in the concentration of HIV/AIDS in specific parts of the world, more especially, the world’s poorest countries and among the “most marginalized” factions of societies globally (Parker, 2002, p. 343). Undoubtedly, there is a connection between HIV/AIDS and socio-economic factors (Parker, 2002). The United Nations has made significant progress in recognizing the socio-economic risk factors associated with vulnerability to HIV/AIDS infection. As a result a number of initiatives have been implemented to address these problems. One such program is the Global Fund to Fight AIDS. However, major events such as the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and the spread of TB and malaria has redirected some efforts and funds away from the AIDS/HIV efforts (Parker, 2002). Annotated Outline: This project sets out to identify the history and development of HIV/AIDS, how it has become a global epidemic, efforts used to combat HIV/AIDS and why those efforts have had some difficulties succeeding. The project is set out as follows: Statistics setting out the extent of HIV/AIDS around the world. Sources from UNAIDS, WHO, the World Bank and UNICEF will be used. Statistics setting out the concentration of HIV/AIDS globally. Sources from UNAIDS, WHO, the World Bank and UNICEF will be used. Statistics setting out the most vulnerable populations. Sources from UNAIDS, WHO, the World Bank and UNICEF will be used. Factual statements of efforts to curtail HIV/AIDS infections and transmission in the most affected areas of the world. Various academic and medical articles will be used. Demonstrate why some areas are more infected than others. Various academic articles will be used. Identify the extent to which behaviour contributes to the risk of HIV/AIDS infections and transmission. Academic articles will be used. Read More