HIV/AIDs as related to African Americans - Essay Example

The origins have spurred global anxiety and begun unprecedented efforts to seek for immediate and holistic treatment for this illness. The updated statistics provided by UNAIDS (2008, 8) revealed an estimated “number of people living with HIV totaling 33.2 million as of 2007” (UNAIDS, 2008); with 2.1 million children living with HIV. Due to the widespread effect of the illness, the UNAIDS have been continuing monitoring progress reports on HIV/AIDS according to country. It gives relevant information on universal access to HIV treatment, prevention, care and appropriate support.

Of the total number of people afflicted with HIV, only 4 million are currently receiving treatment (UNAIDS 2008, 3). These drastic figures reveal the sorry state of health care treatments given and received by HIV afflicted people. These facts are the challenging drive for human service workers to apply the theoretical concepts regarding palliative care needed for patients with HIV/AIDS. In this regard, the objective of this essay is to proffer relevant issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS specifically on African Americans in the United States.

Relevant demographic data would initially be provided including information on number of African Americans living in the United states, percentage of the United States population, population growth rate, birth rate, infant mortality rate, life expectancy at birth (for both males and females), total fertility rate, and literacy, among others. Likewise, statistics on African Americans afflicted with HIV/AIDs would be determined and addressed accordingly. According to the Social Science Analysis Network (SSAN, 2000, 1), the percentage of African Americans living in the United States is 13%, the largest among the racial minority group.

It posted a growth rate of 16% over the ten year period from 1990 to 2000. The infant mortality rates are 13.63