The Effect HIV/AIDS Has on New Orleans, Louisiana - Literature review Example

DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECT HIV/AIDS HAS ON NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA al Affiliation DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECT HIV/AIDS HAS ON NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA New Orleans is a large city in the United States. It has a decreasing population as a result of the occurrence of the Hurricane Katrina. According to the Census of 2010, the ethnic and racial makeup is made of white, Africa American, Asians, Indians, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Cuban, Honduran, and the Latino. The occurrence of the Hurricane Katrina led to the decrease of the population. It is believed that multiple factors led to the decrease. For instance, increase in suburbanization, overreliance to oil and tourism, migration and decline in the jobs to other surrounding parishes. Besides, this low economic and population levels are linked to increasing poverty levels and residential segregation (McCree, Jones & OLeary, 2010). Moreover, the city boasts of a busiest and the largest ports globally. Therefore, New Orleans has the best maritime industry countrywide. Additionally, most of the portions in New Orleans have a significant Petrochemical and Oil Refining production thus it serves as a corporate base for offshore and onshore natural gas and Petroleum production. Socially, it has centers for learning with a vast number of students enrolling in the institutions. In addition, it has healthcare industry, and it is internationally known for its cultural tourism. HIV and Aids have become a menace in the region, since New Orleans has a huge number of HIV and Aids patients nationwide. The issue has created social, political and economic problems to the affected and the community as well. With a confidential interval of 95 percent, it is documented that New Orleans has a prevalence rate that is above 20 percent including New York, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas and Miami (Mayer & Pizer, 2009). New Orleans, Louisiana has had socioeconomic and political effects to the community. It is because of the stigma and related impacts it causes in the life of the affected. These effects are outlined below. It has affected the economic growth of New Orleans as it causes a reduction in the human capital available for the provision of labor and human capital required by the rising economy. Improper nutrition, medicine, and healthcare services cause the victims to fall for AIDs. In addition, people who live with the disease are less productive and require critical medical care thus causing a collapse in the economies of New Orleans. The resulting increase in mortality rate has the effect of reducing the number of skilled labor and labor force thus resulting in the reduction of productivity (Molina, 1994). An increase in labor time off due to sick leave also lowers productivity. High mortality rates weaken mechanisms that cause investments and human capital in people through loss of income and death. HIV weakens the taxable income as it affects the taxable population thus causing a reduction of public expenditure for instance health services and education. In regard, it results in the slower economic growth of the state due to increase in pressure on the state’s finances. The slower growth causes a smaller tax base, and adult mortality causes a shift in responsibility to the government. HIV has an impact on the Gross National Product as it causes a reduction in the spending and the degree of spending (McCree, Jones & OLeary, 2010). HIV/AIDs have a radical impact on the healthcare systems as it causes an increase in the health expenditures and causing the death of nurses and doctors. The increase in the mortality of health workers has an overall effect on the additional costs needed for training and replacement of the deceased (Mayer & Pizer, 2009). HIV/AIDs epidemic affects the education system in New Orleans as it causes the death of teachers resulting in a shortage of teachers. In addition, these deaths affect the administration, finances and planning of institutions of learning (Molina, 1994). In New Orleans, the spread is mainly through the anal, sexual encounter and sharing of needles by an infected person. Sharing of needle occurs when a person uses and share drug equipments that are injected into the veins. Use of drugs such as alcohol and others for instance cocaine and marijuana lower chances for using condoms thereby posing a threat to acquire HIV through unsafe sexual behaviors (Mayer & Pizer, 2009). Therefore, abuse of substances can cause the epidemic indirectly. In addition, environmental factors such as high level of poverty, unemployment of youth, inadequate housing, and lack of empowerments has prevalently resulted in an increasing level of HIV/AIDs in New Orleans, Louisiana. There has been a drastic rise in the spread of HIV and AIDs globally. It is attributed to the increase in new infections in North Africa and Middle East. It is because of the increase in stigmatization and penal legal regimes which make many patients unable to get the necessary support and treatment leading to an increasing transmission risks globally (Mayer & Pizer, 2009). In addition, prostitution and homosexuality have promoted the spread of HIV/AIDs globally. These behaviors and practices that are religiously and socially condemned have sparked the spread of the epidemic in western Africa and the Western Nations (McCree, Jones & OLeary, 2010). Furthermore, conflicts that occur in Arab nations such as Syria, Libya, and Egypt have acts as a potential trigger for the spread of the epidemic through the iatrogenic transmission. High poverty levels in Africa have increasingly caused a rise in the spread of the disease in the continent (McCree, Jones & OLeary, 2010). In addition, a high level of illiteracy and ignorance in the region poses a threat to the growth and spread of the same. The level of HIV and AIDs in the world has continued to grow irrespective of the policies and research that have been put to deal with it (Mayer & Pizer, 2009). United States government has put structures in place to deal with the rising levels of HIV/AIDs in New Orleans. It is because the epidemic level has remained stable in recent years with almost 50,000 new infections every year. In addition, homosexuality has continuously born the highest infection burden (Gullotta, Bloom & Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, 2003). The US government through the Department of State provides the essential leadership by providing human resources such as health workers and medical doctors to support the victim’s transfer of funds to implementing partners to reduce the pandemic. Additionally, the Department of Health through a partnership with the America Government implements the President Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) policies. Department of Health and Human Services achieves care programs, treatment and prevention and conducts research to curb the rising number of the infected globally (Mayer & Pizer, 2009). These Government structures deals with the prevention and treatment of the pandemic nationally and internationally (Mayer & Pizer, 2009). These structures work coherently in providing policies, procedures and resources to deal with HIV/AIDs pandemic. For instance, The Department of states provides human resources and ensures budget tracking and accountability in the usage of government resources. In addition, it provides information, technological services and transfer funds needed by implementation agencies. The Department of Health and Human Services helps the federal government in the implementation, treatment, prevention and provision of care programs and other research activities that relates to HIV and AIDs (Mayer & Pizer, 2009). In regard, The Department of Defence helps in the implementation of President Emergency Plan for Aids Relief programs that helps in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDs. Furthermore, it provides strategic information, care, human capacity development and policies and programs in dealing with the pandemic. The US government also uses The Department of labor which provides and implements the Emergency plan and focuses on the reduction and prevention of HIV/AIDs related discrimination and stigmatization (Gullotta, Bloom & Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, 2003). Besides it provides programs and policies that help in workers retention and sensitization on accessibility to medical treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDs at workplace. It also provides and builds strategic alliances to the unions, employers and Ministries of Labor to create awareness on the pandemic. The Peace Corps is another structure of the government that is hugely involved in the fight for the prevention and treatment. It also provides volunteerism programs and activities that relates to HIV/AIDs. In addition it helps in the implementation of emergency plans and support for community projects that helps in fighting the pandemic (Gullotta, Bloom & Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, 2003). . Finally, USAID and other implementing agencies extends programs and activities in combating HIV and AIDs through provision of technical support such as prevention, treatment, support, research and sustainability health systems. Additionally, they provide logistics network management systems that increase the ability to deliver HIV/AIDs medication and supplies to the local. To realize a comprehensive response in the fight of HIV and AIDs, there is a need for the health sector to provide intervention to prevent new infection in New Orleans (Green & Sobo, 2000). As it would improve the condition and quality of life and prevent more deaths. The available interventions are discussed broadly as explained below. By increasing and creating awareness of the community to know their status mostly the risk population of New Orleans. It is obtained through testing and counseling that play a critical role in the accessibility of HIV treatment, care, and prevention. It targets at achieving synergies between human rights and medical ethics, as well as public and clinical health objectives (Mayer & Pizer, 2009). These testing should range from infant and children, family and partners, blood donor, and laboratory services. The primary prevention of the transmission of HIV needs the implementation of enormous activities in the health and related sectors. HIV prevention should target behavioral change and address social attitudes, cultural norms and behaviors that may cause infections. In addition, it should create a biomedical intervention, for instance, clean needles, Antiretroviral to prevent intrapartum and antepartum transmission and condoms (Gullotta, Bloom & Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, 2003). These primary interventions include support and promotion of condom usage, detection and management of STIs, risk reduction and promotion of safer sex as well as male circumcision. It includes the young children and the infants. Key preventive measures such as primary transmission, prevention as a result of unintended pregnancy in women with HIV and preventing the spread to children from their mothers should be avoided entirely (Turner, 2005). Additionally, family planning is crucial as it helps in the creation of informed choices between partners including time of birth that helps in improving health standards and the reproduction process. Women living with HIV should understand the effectiveness of contraceptive methods and the risks associated HIV-discordant partners (Gullotta, Bloom & Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, 2003). In addition, the partners should comprehend the risk that is involved in the transmission of the infant and the importance of antiretroviral medicines in the reduction of HIV levels (Turner, 2005). These include unsafe blood, unsafe injections, and occupational exposures. Primary prevention for instance standard precaution, blood safety, safe waste disposal, and injection safety are critical in the prevention of the pandemic. Moreover, secondary prevention measures for example post –exposure prophylaxis and an infection control strategies reduces the risks associated with the transmission (Mayer & Pizer, 2009). For adults, children and infants who are living with HIV, there should be an inclusive prevention, care and treatment interventions that are readily available. Faster referral is necessary to most children, infants and adults with signs of the pandemic to prevent further transmission. In addition, these health services should ensure it provides an entire package for intervention to prevent mortality and morbidity (Turner, 2005). Social and behavioral factors play an enormous role in research that concerns HIV prevention. It is because these strategies are associated with behavioral components that affect the acceptance and adoption of a given prevention approach. Moreover, the components are crucial in establishing the acceptability, use, and potential efficacy of the strategies. Research indicates that a wide variety of interpersonal, individual, environmental and social factors manipulates the possibilities of HIV infections (Turner, 2005). Individual factors such as self-esteem, age, self-efficacy, sexual identity and substance abuse influences the risk of infection. Moreover, environmental and social factors such as religious and cultural beliefs, sexuality and sexual behavior, gender norms and marginalization of others for instance drug users, sex workers, and gay men (Green & Sobo, 2000). Therefore, several strategies can be utilized to address the issue: The effect of society-level behavioral intervention on society level HIV condition over a given period. HIV prevention requirements among the adolescent and adults more so girls, young women and the youth in a setting with limited resources, Early integration of social and behavioral research in the development to facilitate the selection of best approaches Community support services include support services such as psychosocial support, medical transportation, health education, risk reduction, linguistic services, medical transportation, psychological support and treatment education. These have a crucial role in providing the support to those living with HIV in accessing adhering to all treatments and health care despite the barriers. In addition, it improves and maximizes health outcomes of the patient (Turner, 2005). In conclusion, households are the most critical units that are affected by HIV epidemic. In addition, it has a massive effect on the costs, labor force, and the productivity. Therefore, the overall impact of HIV/AIDs in New Orleans has an enormous effect on the expansion and development of the economy of the United States. It is likely to intensify if relevant agencies do not implement preventive, intervention and care programs of the epidemic (Mayer & Pizer, 2009). However, with continued trend in implementation of policies by agencies there is possibility for a tremendous reduction of HIV and AIDs infections over a period of 5 years. In addition, these massive research and investment in the healthcare sectors is likely to improve health care services in current situation and over the next 5 years. References Gullotta, T. P., Bloom, M., & Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut. (2003). Encyclopedia of primary prevention and health promotion. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum. Green, G., & Sobo, E. (2000). The endangered self: Managing the social risk of HIV. London: Routledge Molina, C. (1994). Latino health in the US: A growing challenge. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association Mayer, K. H., & Pizer, H. (2009). HIV prevention: A comprehensive approach. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Academic Press. McCree, D. H., Jones, K. T., & OLeary, A. (2010). African Americans and HIV/AIDS: Understanding and addressing the epidemic. New York: Springer. Turner, F. (2005). Social work diagnosis in contemporary practice. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press. Read More