The Acquisition of HIV and AIDS - Essay Example

There are a number of theories that surround the acquisition of HIV and AIDS by humans. Records as far back as 1959 showed that the virus was found in a resident from the Democratic of Congo (Farrand, 2007). It was not until the 1970’s, however, that the disease became known to the general public. Since 1981 it has become and has been responsible for the deaths of 25 million persons. There has been some positive response, to a large extent, in the forming of governmental plans and policies. There is still more to be done, nevertheless, that can help to stem the growth of this disease. Affected Population Prior to the 1980’s, medical records have no exact number of the number of deaths resulting from the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The disease was relatively unknown so the signs and symptoms could not be easily diagnosed. There is uncertainty surrounding the origin of the virus. Scientists now claim that it has possible links with Africa (avert.org, n.d.). The first major report in the United States of America about AIDS came in the form of a report published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 1981. In the AIDS Public Information Data for 1981 – 2002 there is a report on the number of cases of the disease as it relates to the different states, location, demographics and HIV exposure group. In the early years of the disease there was a strong belief that it was only prevalent among homosexual males and the possibility of it being transferred to heterosexual partners was low. The July 3, 1981 publication of The New York Times said, “Dr. Curran said that there was no apparent danger to non homosexuals from contagion. ‘The best evidence against contagion’, he said, ‘is that no cases have been reported to date outside the homosexual community or in women.” Dr. Curran served as Coordinator for the CDC taskforce on Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections from 1981 to 1982. This belief, however, proved to be short-lived as there was evidence of the disease spreading to other groups towards the end of 1981. There were reports of the disease among those who had blood transfusions and the passing of the disease from mother to child was also recorded during this period. The disease was given the name Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in 1982 (avert.org, n.d.). By March of 1983 the CDC report included other population groups. According to the report (cdc.gov, 1983) “persons who may be considered at increased risk of AIDS include those with symptoms and signs suggestive of AIDS; sexual partners of AIDS patients; sexually active homosexual or bisexual men with multiple partners; Haitian entrants to the United States; present or past abusers of IV drugs; patients with hemophilia; and sexual partners of individuals at increased risk for AIDS." A World Health Organization (WHO) publication in 2004 described the disease as a global emergency. According to the report 3 million persons in 2003 alone died from the disease. Especially in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean this disease continues to claim victims, with the majority being the younger section of the population. In many of these countries many babies were born with the disease through prenatal transmission. Medical research and discoveries have been numerous and frequent since the risk and threat of the disease became apparent more than three decades ago. Although in some countries such as those in Europe, the Americas and parts of Asia where those persons living with HIV are to a large extent, persons in the high risk behavior group, the same cannot be said about persons living with the disease in Africa. One could describe this as being unbalanced in terms of treatment and the priorities given to the treatment of the disease by individual governments. Economic Factors The AIDS epidemic put an enormous strain on many economies of the world. Especially in poorer countries, money had to put aside to improve the health situations in those countries. Another blow to the economies came in the form of brain drain. Many of the victims of HIV and AIDS were in the age group of the working labor force. Money had to be put aside to promote educational campaigns. This can be seen in the geographic and demographic divisions as it relates to the political, socio-cultural and economic factors. Although only 10 percent of the world’s population reside in sub-Saharan Africa the approximately two-thirds of those persons who are infected with the virus reside in this region (avert.org, n.d.). In 2008 1.4 million persons succumbed to the virus. Although antiretroviral treatment is available in many countries it is not extended to the greater population that needs it. The scourge of the disease has put a strain on the weak economies of many of these developing countries. In many African countries, for example, the funds relegated to treating one infected persons is less than $10 per year, yet the real cost excluding antiretroviral treatment is estimated to be about $30 per person per year (avert.org.n.d.). Many hospitals are short of beds and are incapable of having long term patients. Consequently, many patients are admitted at a later stage of the disease where there is a decreased chance for discovery. Although the disease in Africa was first noted in the urban areas of many countries it soon spread to rural areas where resources are scarce and cultural and social beliefs and traditions prevented many persons from accepting that they have the diseases or even willing to be diagnosed. With conditions like these the situation will only get worse if attempts are not made to assist these countries. It must also be taken into consideration that the unstable political and social climate of many of these countries does not augur much for the future of a positive outlook for those carrying HIV and AIDS virus. Policy and Politics Some political leaders in Africa have not been forthcoming about the treatment of the disease and the impact it can have on the individual countries. The behavior of many of these political leaders hasn’t helped in recognizing the severity of the disease. With the majority of many of these rural populations being steeped in oral cultural traditions it takes a lot of innovativeness and creativity to spread the message about HIV and AIDs. This nonchalant attitude towards the disease trickled down to the greater population. In January 2007, for example, President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia shocked the world when he announced that he had a cure for AIDS. Many critics blamed him for leading victims to believe that herbal remedies were more effective than getting antiretroviral treatment. Former South African President Thabo Mbeki was also reluctant in recognizing the effects of the disease on his country. Butler (2007) described the South African President as a President in denial, and referred to South Africa as a ravaged nation denied hope. Mr. Mbeki had fired a cabinet minister who was instrumental in providing help for those suffering from the disease. As deputy health minister, Ms. Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge was responsible for helping to create a five year plan where many persons would have access to life-saving AIDs drugs. She was also very critical of the president and his reaction to the AIDs epidemic. Compared to poorer African countries he was way behind when he allowed free AIDS drugs in 2004. His sacking of the minister earned the wrath and criticism of many persons (Butler, 2007). "He has once again shown his contempt for those seeking scientific approaches to Aids. This is a dreadful error of judgment. It indicates that the President still remains opposed to the science of HIV, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), South Africas biggest Aids advocacy group.” Disparities, Access and Quality Nevertheless there are countries on the continent that have taken a more positive stand towards the disease. Uganda has been seeing a steady decline since the 1990’s. It is the only African country to have reaped success in this regard. A combination of political leadership and education campaigns has been responsible for the decline in this country (Goliber, 2002). After the first case of AIDS was diagnosed in the early 1980’s a new public education and AIDS prevention program was put in place shortly after President Yoweri Museveni came to power. The program encouraged Ugandans to abstain, be faithful, use condoms. This was dubbed the ABC approach. There were also creations of a number of organizations that were aimed at educating the population in their different communities and villages. Among those community based- groups was The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) which became the largest group of its kind. It provided medical as well as emotional and moral support to those persons suffering from the disease. HIV prevalence fell from one-third of pregnant women and 15% percent among the adult population in 1991 to about 5% in 2001. International help also came from organizations such as the World Bank. Uganda began producing its own generic drug in 2007 with the opening of the Luziria factory. The factory was given the go ahead by WHO in March 2010 to distribute and market the drug globally. Other African countries that have had a measure of success in implementing programs include Zimbabwe, Senegal and Kenya. The decline in Zimbabwe is due partly to a change in behavior. The use of condoms and fewer opportunities of casual sex have led to a new direction. The current political situation in Zimbabwe, however, is preventing international groups from carrying out related researches concerning the disease. From the early eighties Senegal had been promoting a purposeful education campaign. The message about HIV and AIDS was implemented in the school curricula as well as in social and cultural activities. Religion also played a major part in the control of this disease as the predominantly Muslim country recommended fidelity and abstinence. Kenya has been instrumental in causing a decline in the disease through promoting the use of condoms and through other educational programs. Statistics show that the number of persons living with the disease fell from 10% in the 1990s to around 7% in 2003(avert.org, n.d.)). In other developing regions in the world such as Latin America and the Caribbean help is more forthcoming from international organizations when compared with the situation in Africa. It has been found that the disease is more confined to persons within certain population groups. This includes intravenous drug users, sex workers and homosexual men. Although much more can be done countries such as the Bahamas has had rigorous programs and implementations. As early as 1995 a program that was aimed at reducing the transmission from mother to child was initiated. As a result the rate of transmission fell tremendously from 28% in 1995 to 3% in 2002 (journal.paho.org, 2005). Containing the disease and the spread of the virus in developed countries was done mostly through HIV prevention campaigns. Although there has been some measure of success with regards to the treatment of HIV and AIDS the disease still continues to affect many countries. Even in those countries that had effective plans and programs, the disease has not reached a level where political leaders and medical workers should feel comfortable. One reason for the ongoing problem of the disease is that many countries become complacent after realizing that their campaigns have been gaining ground. In many cases, after the initial campaigns have worn off many persons within the target population returns to their old sex habits and practices. This is evident in the case of Uganda that previously led the way in its campaign and programs. As reported on http://www.avert.org, “The number of new infections (an estimated 111,000 in 2008) exceeds the number of annual AIDS deaths (61,000 in 2008), and it is feared HIV prevalence in Uganda may be rising again. There are many theories as to why this may be happening, including the government’s shift towards abstinence-only prevention programs, and a general complacency or ‘AIDS-fatigue’. It has been suggested that antiretroviral drugs have changed the perception of AIDS from a death sentence to a treatable, manageable disease; this may have reduced the fear surrounding HIV, and in turn have led to an increase in risky behavior.” In July 2010, the United Nation proposed an AIDS treatment plan, ‘Treatment 2.0’ that they believe could significantly reduce the incidence of the disease if the plan is fully implemented. Among the proposals is a simpler approach to tackling HIV. It also advocates a more financial viable way of accessing drugs (unaids.org, 2010). According to Michel Sidibe, director of UNAIDS, "For countries to reach their universal access targets and commitments, we must reshape the AIDS response. Through innovation we can bring down costs so investments can reach more people." Proposed Plan With respect to the treatment and prevention of HIV and AIDS a new policy should be implemented. This policy should take into account the socio-economic and cultural traditions of the population that is targeted. Education is key to the change of behavior. This has been seen in the previous attempts made by different countries in reaching out to the general population. The new proposed policy should have a combination of educational campaign, stable financial source, a reliable management team, help and commitment from the international community, and scientists and medical personnel who are dedicated to realizing a reduction and possible negative growth of the disease. There also has to be a strong and effective evaluation program where stakeholders will act briskly on results of the policy whether the results are negative or positive. It is only through consistent, reliable and active participation that any permanent results will be achieved. Each country should implement HIV and AIDS topics within the education system starting as early as primary or elementary level. In many countries a number of children have received the disease from their mothers so this could also be an effective reference point. In the same way that sex education has become a part of the school curricula governments should mandate that HIV and AIDS be a part of the education program. For the general program education can be done through the media and other sources. It is possible for saturation to take place so committees and programs should attract the best and brightest persons within the society who are innovative and are willing to bring fresh approaches at designated intervals. Financial viability and effective campaigning go hand in hand. Many of these countries can relegate extra expenses to the AIDS campaign. The policy should also integrate both non-governmental and governmental international organizations that have expertise and experience in dealing with AIDS and other epidemic. Any financial contribution should be channeled to a group set up just to deal with the economic aspect. In many cases funds are not directed to the correct channel and may be used for other purposes other than for which it was intended. The issue of the acquisition of AIDS drugs is a very sensitive one. Many pharmaceutical companies are content with just the economical aspect of producing these drugs. A real effective policy would be one where cheap and effective drugs are available to the very poor. This can only be made possible if international bodies that are responsible for the distribution and marketing of medicinal products give the authorization for poorer countries to make the best of the situation with regards to drugs. If many developed countries are given the chance to create drugs that would be used in the treatment of HIV and AIDS they wouldn’t have to spend a significant portion of money to buy the drugs from developed countries and established companies. There should be programs where community health workers get to reach the grassroots and those persons on the fringe of society who require constant treatment and care. Having such a program will help medical workers to familiarize themselves with certain communities so it would become easier for them to detect persons who need care and treatment. As it stands now many rural areas are neglected and those suffering from the disease do not have easy access to available treatment. There should be consistent and reliable evaluation methods that allow successes to be replicated in other countries and societies. Communication and sharing is important if there is to be a global effort in the control of the disease. This can be in the form of symposiums, workshops, seminars that would disseminate new information and new results that can help other countries and regions in their fight against the disease. In the same way that countries have separated themselves into economic blocs the same idea could be applied in the treatment of the disease. It will take much hard work and dedication in the implementation of any successful policy and program. It will also take a concerted effort on the part of the different countries and regions. It can work if the human concern is placed in front of the prejudices and divisions. If all these things are taken into consideration, this situation will improve greatly. Butler, K. (2007) A President in Denial, A Ravaged Nation Denied Hope. Retrieved 20 November 2010from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/a-president-in-denial-a-ravaged-nation-denied-hope-460967.html Farrand, C. (2007) A Brief History of HIV. Retrieved 20 November 2010 from http://www.thebody.com/content/whatis/art43596.html Fitzgerald J, Dahl-Regis M, Gomez P, Del Riego (2005). A multidisciplinary approach to scaling up HIV/AIDS treatment and care: the experience of the Bahamas. Pan American Journal of Public Health, Volume 17, Issue 1. Retrieved 20 November 2010 from http://journal.paho.org/?a_ID=254 Goliber, T. (2002) Africa’s Political Response To HIV/AIDS. Retrieved 20 November 2010 from http://www.prb.org/Articles/2002/AfricasPoliticalResponsetoHIVAIDS.aspx The Treatment Initiative Retrieved 20 November 2010 from http://whqlibdoc.who.int/whr/2004/924156265X.pdf History of HIV and AIDS HIV and AIDS in Africa Retrieved 20 November 2010 from http://www.avert.org/ Read More