Policies and Practices Used to Deal with AIDS in South Africa and Australia - Case Study Example

Running head: AIDS policies. Name: Date: Lecturer: Policies and practices used to deal with AIDS in South Africa and Australia The effects of AIDS have been felt at least in every continent in the world. Many countries have developed policies of dealing with this pandemic with some declaring it a national disaster in order to deal with it effectively. The number of AIDS patients is rising all over the world leading to it being a major threat to all people since each person is in one way affect by it. South Africa and Australia are two countries in two different continents, which in fact have utilized different policies in curbing the spread of AIDS. This paper will bring out comparisons of the strategies that have been employed in the two nations to see their similarities and differences, as well as the factors driving the strategies. Though their development is much deferent but both work to fight this pandemic. (Johnson & Bedlender, 2002) The first strategy that has been emphasized is the sex education move. This strategy was to be met with very much confrontation because of the duplicitous and escapist attitude towards the sex education as Weaver et al (2007) claim. However, this establishment of sex education had been there long before AIDS emerged in the 1980s. A policy was later developed towards educating young people on the nature of AIDS virus, Sexually Transmitted Infections and other viruses that are borne in blood (Weaver et al, 2007). With this awareness in place, the people have been enabled to seek healthy ways of managing their sexual relations reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Similarly, sex education has been started in South Africa. The South African National Policy on HIV AIDS for Learners and Educators in Public Schools and Students and Educators in Further Education and Training Institutions (1999) is one of the government’s efforts to begin the fight against AIDS. The bill advocated non-discrimination on learners. It also proposes testing during admission to schools as well as their attendance to school. It also supported the disclosing of one’s status (Johnson & Bedlander, 2002). Measures were also established against transmission of HIV during contact times like play or sport. HIV/AIDS awareness program was incorporated into the school curriculum as a part rather than an option. It also involved other players like educators, teachers, parents and workers and defined their responsibilities (South African Policy, 1999). With this incorporation, the people have learnt to interact indiscriminately while developing healthy relations. Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) which aims at reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS has been employed in South Africa. The plan was launched between 2006 and 2011. The voluntary counselling and testing had plans that will see an increase in the HIV/AIDS awareness. It was also going to help in enabling the prevention of the disease as well as its treatment, care and other services. Still this was to see comprehensive HIV/AIDS programme of caring, managing and treating it as reported by Department of Health (2010). With the raised awareness, the people have been careful in utilizing means that will ensure safe relations among themselves as reported by the Department of Health (2010). Counselling on the other hand has been initiated in Australia in the sexual health clinics that have been opened around the country. These clinics provide services that help in taking care of the people different sexually related diseases. Most of them are outpatient and they deal with meeting the needs of different groups. Among them are those who are at higher risks of contracting AIDS (Australian Society for HIV medicine, 2009). Counselling which is done here to these people can be compared to the South Africa’s VCT which considers both the infected and the affected. The VCT services in South Africa are offered in various hospitals although not in special clinics like the Australian model of sexual health clinics (Cullinan, 2006). With these counselling services provided, the people are given support on how to handle the stress associated with AIDS hence promoting their general health. Abstinence is another practice that is aimed at preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Australia. It implies the absolute refusal to have sexual intercourse as explained by the International Organization for Migration (2006). Closely related to abstinence is faithfulness which many people according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) (2006) confuse. Faithfulness is maintaining fidelity among partners, that is, sticking to one partner who is not HIV-positive. This way Australia has been able to create awareness as well as hold down the spread of HIV. South Africa on the other hand has also made steps in realizing the same steps of emphasizing abstinence by ensuring that the myths surrounding the spread of AIDS are demystified (Department of Health, 2006). A society upholding abstinence and faithfulness is thus capable of suppressing the rise of the numbers of AIDS victims thus promoting a healthy nation. The use of condoms has been an emphasized practice which has been supported by the media and other communication tools. In Australia, acknowledging the sexual nature of young people was a crucial component step that was taken (TSH National Framework, 1999). Sexual experience has been considered over time as an important thing both for heterosexuals and for homosexuals (TSH National Framework, 1999). Sexual workers also have been vigilant to use condoms and this has made the cases of HIV/AIDS lower among them as reported by the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (2005). This helps the non-guilty use of condoms and reducing of the spreading of HIV among both the young and adult population. South Africa on its part is known for the great step that was made in acknowledging the use of condoms. This is witnessed by the distribution of condoms to prisoners the general population as reported by the Department of Health (2010). There are other general means that have been emphasized worldwide like advising infected mothers against breastfeeding which prevents the spread of infection to babies. Sterilizing and avoiding the sharing of piercing objects like syringes, tattooing tools and so on. Still, screening blood transfusion services which are other ways of reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS have been implemented in both countries as more universally accepted ways to contain the pandemic and which are still emphasized as stated by UNAIDS (2004). Gaining such awareness among people has been utilized to contain the HIV/AIDS spread and consequently promising results have been witnessed in the reduced pandemic (UNAIDS, 2004). The use of ARVs is another strategy that has been devised to sustain the health of HIV/AIDS victims. The drugs are supplied regularly to these people under governmental set policies both in Australia (National HIV/AIDS Strategy (2006) and South Africa (Department of Health (2010). South Africa on its part is a country that has found itself in the crisis of being the country with the largest number of population of people with AIDS (Dickinson, 2003). The response also to the AIDS pandemic has not been very aggressive but slow, as Nattrass (2005) has claimed. Still, there has been serious antipathy against the use of antiretroviral drugs with more preference given to quack medicine. The quack drugs are available for consumption and this will lead to a high rate of ignorance of people who fail to live accordingly (Gauri & Lieberman, 2006). This has been one of the failures by South Africa in realizing containing the HIV/AIDS fight compared to Australia. Political leaders in South Africa are among the champions of the campaign against the Anti-retroviral drugs. One of the key players is the former president Thabo Mbeki who questioned the credibility and effectiveness of ARVs along with other denialists who have argued against the drugs for over two decades according to Nattrass (2005). The persistent failure in the South African campaign against HIV/AIDS can therefore be traced towards the leaders. It is reported that Mbeki’s denial was not him alone. Several ministers and supporters of the African National Congress rallied behind him in fighting any scientific advancement towards eradication of HIV/AIDS (Nattrass, 2005). Such promotion of ignorance has seen a high population of South Africans with AIDS. Apart from denial by top government officials, other scholars have established that AIDS is caused by cultural factors or taboos. These include the failure to recognise the greater part played by transmission through sexual intercourse and that its symptoms may not be immediately recognized (Gauri & Lieberman, 2006). On top of the above observation, it is observed that the policies that have been laid down in South Africa are laggard and long term. Compared to Brazil, South Africa has been trailing behind in the campaign against AIDS (Gauri & Lieberman, 2006). From the observations above, it is evident that some conclusion can be drawn on the nature of the South African policies. The leaders despite the concerted efforts of scientists to effect an eliminative plan against HIV spread have dragged them down. Comparing the two countries’ policies on AIDS it is very clear that the two have attempted to make the right steps in incorporating education on AIDS in the school system. It is easier to have the necessary knowledge imparted in that way (TSH National Framework, 1999 & South African Policy 1999). Another important thing that is witnessed in the policies of the two countries is the emphasis on non-discrimination on AIDS victims and letting the victims to work freely without the consideration of their HIV/AIDS status (TSH National Framework, 1999 & South African Policy, 1999). Apart from the education that has been emphasized, the other methods discussed like breastfeeding strategies, healthy blood transfusion services, use of condoms, counselling among other services have been instrumental in realizing healthy nations. The leaders have destabilized the South African policy for a long time causing the rampant spread of HIV (Gauri & Lieberman, 2005) compared with that of Australia, which has been, supported nationally (TSH Framework, 1999). Moreover, in Australia, the whole issue is founded mainly on sexual education that had been pre-established with the reporting of HIV cases. On the contrary, South African policy has been founded over the danger of the persisting pandemic and the slowness of response by the government (Dickinson, 2003). This does not mean that HIV/AIDS policies are not well established in South Africa but that it is incomparable to that of Australia, which has tried to go beyond the taboos and myths surrounding sexual experience (TSH National Framework, 1999, Gauri & Lieberman, 2005). In conclusion, efforts made by the two countries are in no doubt acknowledged and the effects of such efforts have been felt as observed above. It is however, notable to acknowledge the steps made in South Africa are a little bit trailing behind those of Australia. Political failure as observed has been a key cause of the failure in implementing healthy South Africa compared to Australia where there has been a national support. It is therefore worthy noting to suffice that Australian policies are better than those of South Africa. References Australian Society for HIV medicine (2009). Existing Services for People Living with HIV in Australia. National Association of people living with HIV/AIDS. 1-24. Cullinan, K. (2006). Health Services in South Africa: A basic introduction. Health-e news service. January 2006. Dickinson, D. (2003). Managing HIV/AIDS in the South African Workplace: Just Another Duty. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences. 6(1) 1- 31. Gauri, V., Lieberman, E.S. (2006). Boundary Institutions and HIV/AIDS Policy in Brazil and South Africa. Studies in comparative international development. 41(3) 47-73. International Organization on Migration (2006). IOM HIV Counselling in the context of Migration Health Assessment. IOM guide for HIV counsellors. September 2003. Johnson, L & Budlender, D (2002) HIV Risk Factors: A Review of the Demographic, Socio-economic, Biomedical and Behavioural Determinants of HIV Prevalence in South Africa. Care Monograph. 8, 1-49 National Framework for Education about STIs, HIV/AIDS and Blood-Borne Viruses in Secondary Schools (1999). Talking Sexual Health. 1-72. National HIV/AIDS Strategy (2005). Revitalizing Australia’s response 2005-2008. Web: Retrieved on May 22, 2013. Nattrass, N. (2005). Aids and the Scientific Governance of Medicine in Post-Apartheid South Africa. July 2005. The South African National Policy on HIV AIDS for Learners and Educators in Public Schools and Students and Educators in Further Education and Training Institutions (1999) Web: > Retrieved on May 20, 2013. UNAIDS, (2004). Making Condoms Work for HIV prevention; Cutting-edge perspectives. June 2004. Weaver, H., Smith, G., Kippax, S. (2007). School-based Sex Education Policies and Indicators of Sexual health among Young People: A comparison of the Netherlands, France, Australia and the United States. Sex education; Sexuality society and learning. 5(2) 171-188. Read More

The voluntary counselling and testing had plans that will see an increase in the HIV/AIDS awareness. It was also going to help in enabling the prevention of the disease as well as its treatment, care and other services. Still this was to see comprehensive HIV/AIDS programme of caring, managing and treating it as reported by Department of Health (2010). With the raised awareness, the people have been careful in utilizing means that will ensure safe relations among themselves as reported by the Department of Health (2010).

Counselling on the other hand has been initiated in Australia in the sexual health clinics that have been opened around the country. These clinics provide services that help in taking care of the people different sexually related diseases. Most of them are outpatient and they deal with meeting the needs of different groups. Among them are those who are at higher risks of contracting AIDS (Australian Society for HIV medicine, 2009). Counselling which is done here to these people can be compared to the South Africa’s VCT which considers both the infected and the affected.

The VCT services in South Africa are offered in various hospitals although not in special clinics like the Australian model of sexual health clinics (Cullinan, 2006). With these counselling services provided, the people are given support on how to handle the stress associated with AIDS hence promoting their general health. Abstinence is another practice that is aimed at preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Australia. It implies the absolute refusal to have sexual intercourse as explained by the International Organization for Migration (2006).

Closely related to abstinence is faithfulness which many people according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) (2006) confuse. Faithfulness is maintaining fidelity among partners, that is, sticking to one partner who is not HIV-positive. This way Australia has been able to create awareness as well as hold down the spread of HIV. South Africa on the other hand has also made steps in realizing the same steps of emphasizing abstinence by ensuring that the myths surrounding the spread of AIDS are demystified (Department of Health, 2006).

A society upholding abstinence and faithfulness is thus capable of suppressing the rise of the numbers of AIDS victims thus promoting a healthy nation. The use of condoms has been an emphasized practice which has been supported by the media and other communication tools. In Australia, acknowledging the sexual nature of young people was a crucial component step that was taken (TSH National Framework, 1999). Sexual experience has been considered over time as an important thing both for heterosexuals and for homosexuals (TSH National Framework, 1999).

Sexual workers also have been vigilant to use condoms and this has made the cases of HIV/AIDS lower among them as reported by the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (2005). This helps the non-guilty use of condoms and reducing of the spreading of HIV among both the young and adult population. South Africa on its part is known for the great step that was made in acknowledging the use of condoms. This is witnessed by the distribution of condoms to prisoners the general population as reported by the Department of Health (2010).

There are other general means that have been emphasized worldwide like advising infected mothers against breastfeeding which prevents the spread of infection to babies. Sterilizing and avoiding the sharing of piercing objects like syringes, tattooing tools and so on. Still, screening blood transfusion services which are other ways of reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS have been implemented in both countries as more universally accepted ways to contain the pandemic and which are still emphasized as stated by UNAIDS (2004).

Gaining such awareness among people has been utilized to contain the HIV/AIDS spread and consequently promising results have been witnessed in the reduced pandemic (UNAIDS, 2004). The use of ARVs is another strategy that has been devised to sustain the health of HIV/AIDS victims.

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