Impacts of Antiretroviral Drugs - Essay Example

"Impacts of Antiretroviral Drugs" is a remarkable example of a paper on the virus. Melissa Healy has reported about the extraordinary therapeutic effects of antiretroviral drugs in the treatment and management of HIV infection, AIDS in her article "AIDS drugs restore Africans' life expectancy." According to this report published in the Los Angeles Times on July 18, 2011, the diagnosis of HIV infection is no longer considered a life sentence now. The antiretroviral therapeutic drugs which were initiated in the United States and Europe are a ray of hope for AIDS patients. Now they can have a long and even a normal life span along with increased immunity and reduced chances of spread of HIV infection. A large number of philanthropists now are hopeful of making use of this drug therapy in developing countries that need this management technique the most because of high HIV AIDS prevalence rates. Africa is one of those high prevalence areas, with 10 million Africans tested positive for HIV infection (Healy 2011). 

 According to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine, the improvement in life spans of the Ugandans was observed after taking the antiretroviral drugs. Application of this treatment strategy is quite challenging in developing countries because of their health and hygiene status, but still, efforts are being made to bring about a change. 22,315 Ugandans in 11 major and 35 minor clinics were included in the study carried out between 2000 and 2009. The life spans of both men and women showed remarkable improvements, and they went on to live normal and healthier lives. A woman of 20 years can gain an impressive 30 year more life span after this therapy while a 20-year-old male can gain 19.5 more years. With the antiretroviral drug usage, the developing countries will benefit the most in terms of HIV transmission control, decreased load on their economy, and better life expectancies for the affected individuals (Healy 2011). 

The published news article highlights a very successful and promising HIV AIDS treatment strategy i.e., antiretroviral drugs. With its application in the health care centres, the management of HIV infection can be improved by many folds, and the patients can also hope for a better and healthier living. The most conspicuous feature of this treatment is that it boasts of an increased life span for the affected individuals. Furthermore, this treatment strategy is not only useful for developed countries but also for the developing countries which require it the most. With increasing reports of AIDS cases in the developing countries, the antiretroviral drugs can be sued worldwide for improved management of the disease. Although complete eradication of HIV infection is not yet possible, efforts can be made to improve the immunity of the affected population and protecting the unaffected from its spread. The antiretroviral drugs will also help in dropping the burden from the economy of the developing countries because of its effectual outcomes. Thus, the article provides for claims for the treatment of this condition and also explains a global pattern of this disease by encompassing the need for this treatment in both developed and developing nations. 

HIV infection is dreaded by everyone because of its poor prognosis and lack of any preventive vaccines or curative medications. Furthermore, it has always been considered a life sentence because of the early death of the diagnosed cases. However, the advancements in the management techniques, like the antiretroviral drugs, promise a better prognosis for the AIDS patients and an improved life expectancy. Thus, the article explains a form of treatment which can prove to be beneficial for the patients suffering from this condition.