Prevention of HIV/AIDs in South Africa - Case Study Example

Prevention of Hiv/Aids in South Africa

Introduction

HIV/AIDS is a big health issue in South Africa Township where most black South Africans live. Most surveys show that South Africa has the highest record of people living with HIV/AIDS. Since 1993, the number of individuals suffering from HIV is increasing. Traditional myths, lack of awareness and HIV education, media, government, the community all contribute to the increasing HIV disease. Despite all those challenges, South Africa are now preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS by awareness campaigns in schools communities treatment, reduce stigmatization, new legal frameworks and policies to reduce the spread of HIV. New practices, strategies will help to prevent or even reduce spread f the disease. The aim of this study is to;

• Reduce spread of the disease by using control and preventive measures.
• Encourage community and peer education.
• Come up with the solutions, policies to address the problems of HIV disease.
• Reduce stigmatizations both at schools, workplace, churches and the community.
• Lower new TB and HIV infections.

Strategies have to go hand in hand with goals so as to make the solutions effective. They include;

• To prevent Tuberculosis and HIV infections
• Effective quality treatment and testing.
• Prevent discrimination, sexual violence stigmatization and safeguarding human rights.
• Community collaboration to enhance awareness

According to findings, South Africa being the leading country to be heavily infected with HIV/AIDS there are a number f causes of the infection. They include;

False traditional beliefs have contributed to the spread of the disease. HIV/AIDS is high among the blacks compared to whites due to lack of knowledge about modes of transmission, mother to child, unprotected sex, and unprotected sex.Government denialism that HIV can cause AIDS led to delays to coming up with treatment hence causing a high number of deaths. They had beliefs that garlic; cloves olive oil can cure HIV. The media was less aggressive when it came to handling HIV/AIDS news. News coverage about HIV was not much until after elections. Sexual violence. High rape cases of about 100 000 yearly is a major concern (Mnyani, Nandipha, and Mcintyre 64). Men forced children below the age of ten and women to have unprotected sex with them, and most cases went unreported. Loss of faith in the police, embarrassment made women and children live with fear since reporting rape cases wouldn't be solved.

Prevention of HIV/AIDS in South Africa

Education

Introducing HIV/AIDS in school curricula enabled the youths to abstain from sex ad have the basic knowledge that would guide their general moral behavior. It also gave the knowledge on prevention and causes of HIV and how it affects a country, society an individual and the entire family. Together with other programs, HIV education was able to be passed well, without fear in the hope of supporting the youth to live a healthy life as HIV is real. Also, the society was taught about HIV prevention methods. Education was given at schools, churches, clans and schools t ensure that the whole population was well equipped with HIV/AIDS prevention methods so as to achieve the country’s goal together which was to reduce HIV infection in the country by 50% (Martin and Black).

National policy

National HIV/AIDS testing and counseling campaign led to getting a lot of people to get tested. It has enabled women to get tested especially during pregnancy. In conjunction with HCT revitalization strategy that was drafted 2013; targets on HIV/AIDS testing were carried on private sector individuals and those at higher education. Go ahead for using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to protect those who do not have HIV/AIDS from being exposed to the virus is among the first policies to be approved in South Africa. Also, mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS during birth is being prevented by the PMTCT drug. The High Court of South Africa ordered the government to make available nevirapine drug for pregnant women so as to prevent mother to child HIV transmission. There was also the creation of platforms where victims of rape, domestic violence, sexual assault voiced their views.

Condom use and treatment

Making condoms available is a great step to prevent HIV/AIDS. Programs are there to enable people to know how they are used, availability to both male and females. Condom availability has enabled the youth to be able to find condoms without feeling embarrassed from shops, hospitals, and schools. Treatment was highly encouraged. Antiretroviral medications were introduced and made available and free HIV testing (Islam 131-134). Health institutions not only provided treatment but also taught healthy behaviors by providing counseling and guidance to patients. Treatment campaigns were able to spread public awareness information about HIV/AIDS, provide cheap and quality treatment to all and campaigns against HIV myths. Treatment for patients diagnosed with Tuberculosis with HIV was exposed to antiretroviral therapies and anti-TB drug treatment together with HIV.

Programs and organizations

The ART program in South Africa whereby a large number of HIV victims received the drug. A new policy implemented together with World Health Organization has helped put in place those guidelines by ensuring that people get treatment from the beginning instead of waiting for their CD4 count to go down. Treatment is given once one tests positive. Awareness campaigns such as Soul City and Soul Buddyz provided television programs that provided information about AIDS. Sarafina music was used to reach the youth together, and the soccer team wore red ribbons in any appearances they had in National Soccer. In 2001, NGO came up with clinical care for HIV patients to provide cheaper and affordable therapies. With increased number of pregnant women with HIV, campaigns, and court orders came handy to make available nevirapine drugs for women who are pregnant and help prevent the spread of the disease to their unborn babies (Gacoin 54-59).

Policies

The implementation of the country’s strategic plan to reduce HIV/AIDS goal is to ensure the vulnerable generation of the youth orphans and children have better access to education. There was a need to reduce poverty levels which are among the causes for HIV/AIDS, by providing employment opportunities to women and men. A number of programs have come in place to help fight HIV upcoming new infections and fighting to reduce HIV deaths. The government ensures that the policies were strictly adhered to. After the apartheid time in South Africa, the government allowed platforms to be formed to listen to women and young children that suffer from sexual violence, domestic violence to air their views freely. Laws for compulsory testing for reported rapists and registering them so that they can be punished according to the constitution have made victims of rape stop living with fear as their cases are now solved.

Medical male circumcision

Voluntary male circumcision has enabled the males in South Africa to freely go to hospitals for circumcision at the hospitals which are safer. It will not only prevent them from contracting the disease but as ensure the procedure is done well that there will not be wounds that can lead t new infections. Unlike the traditional circumcision which forced youths of the same age group t to undergo the procedure where knives and scalpels were shared, the voluntary one ensures that equipments are well sterilized before use t prevent chances of infections. Voluntary male circumcision enabled the youth to get knowledge about HIV/AIDS and enabled them to leave a life that is morally upright since they were made aware of the disease and its effects not leaving behind the prevention mechanisms. It was a chance to give them condoms which helped to prevent chances of HIV/AIDS transmission.

Society

There was need of the community to collaborate and take part in preventing the spread of the disease. Peer education provided a forum whereby training was offered, AIDS discussed collectively and openly to encourage behavior change. Not to mention, legal policies and actions that allowed cheaper locally produced anti-retroviral in pharmacies. Implementation of HIV/AIDS is a bit of a challenge, but the National Policy on HIV/AIDS in South Africa has helped the government to reduce the spread of the disease by encouraging the youth to have healthy sexual behavior. Schools and the society at large are given resources and support to equip knowledge and skills to students and society to help them understand how HIV/AIDS is contracted, measures to take and prevention measures to reduce the disease.

Campaigns

Campaigns on HIV counseling and voluntary testing for all South Africans has been introduced. It helps an individual know their status and if one is positive, they can take preventive measures earlier. The campaign raises awareness of HIV and urges the community to come together and remove the mentality that people have about AIDS in the community. Campaigns in churches to curb HIV/AIDS increase. Churches fail to use religion to help reduce the spread of HIV as they are seen rejecting members claiming that that's the punishment for their moral behavior. Also, men rape in the community is now about 19.4% in South Africa. Little support for the male victims has made men to fear coming out since they now that community will criticize them and they will not be helped. Activations are now in place to support the minority.

Conclusion

HIV /AIDS is not a myth. Its spread in many ways and mobilizing the community about ways of contracting the diseases and prevention measures can help to decrease the deaths f many people with AIDS. Policies and laws should be enacted s as to provide punishment to perpetrators. Awareness is highly encouraged to schools, communities by introducing educational programs, community initiatives to equip knowledge about AIDS. To fight AIDS, diagnosis of TB can also be helpful. Early diagnosis should be taken so as to recommend HIV antiretroviral therapy and anti-TB drugs. Goals and strategies should be used together so as to ensure that the country’s gals are achieved and decrease by 50% using prevention methods (Baghdadi 73). Government support, NGOs, and al agencies should work together to help spread accurate information about AIDS to society, schools, workplaces and provide affordable treatment. Orphan with AIDS and young girls who are victims of rape show signs of depression, post-traumatic stress due to stigma in the community and schools. Showing them love and affection, form the community can help them. Change of social attitude, treating them with respect and equality will help in preventing violence against women. All traditional myths about are decreasing as the society is now informed about AIDS. Productivity will increase, and the economy will grow as a result of the new policies and laws put in place to aid prevention of HIV in South Africa. Attitude about HIV has now been handled by agencies and bodies that provide educational programs to individuals. Working together will help the government prevent HIV/AIDS in South Africa so as to achieve their goals and reduce the disease in the country.