Free Essay

Aids as a Disease

In:

Submitted By stweven
Words 322
Pages 2
Discuss the View That Hiv/Aids Is a Disease of Poverty
Social Problems
Chupical Shollah Manuel

HIV is a long term social problem in most underdeveloped countries. This takes us directly beyond the epidemiological aspects of the disease to the social and economic dimensions. Many social studies have revealed that HIV and AIDS is fast becoming a social cancer and it can be understood if one was to assess the social structure and the availability of resources in the society. The most affected persons are those who live in the lower strata of the social stratification due to inequalities that comes with social structure. This paper serves to explain that HIV and AIDS is a social problem of poverty and it also looks at other factors such as religion, promiscuity and child rights which also result in the spread of the disease. It is undisputed to say that poverty is implicated in the prevalence in most developing world. Because these countries are generally poor people are normally forced to engage in activities that end up putting them at the risk of HIV. United Nations (2004) revealed that in South Africa more than 6 million people where living with HIV. The paper also revealed that the majority number who were affected were blacks who are generally poor who have no proper housing facilities, mal-nutritional, lack of safe water. Further research has suggested that Botswana and Zimbabwe have high prevalence of the disease due to the poor conditions which prevails in these countries. In Zimbabwe around 2 million people are said to be contracting the disease and an assessment shows that those who are infected are mainly the poor people as compared with those who stay in low density suburbs. The general consensus is that poor people are pushed into risk behavior such as prostitution where they tend to sell their bodies for money so that they can earn a decent living.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Aid and the Dutch Disease in Ethiopia

...AID AND THE DUTCH-DISEASE IN ETHIOPIA Monetary Policy and Economic Research Directorate National Bank of Ethiopia Teferi Mequaninte tefmeq@yahoo.com May, 2005 SECTION ONE Introduction Following the introduction of the Structural adjustment program (SAP) in 1992 to the Ethiopian economy, there was a massive inflow of foreign aid in the form of grants, concessional loans and technical assistance. Net aid1 inflows to Ethiopia during the Derg period were around 7 percent of GDP and are doubled to 14 percent of GDP during the EPRDF regime. These elevated flows have raised a number of concerns, ranging from fears about the effect of aid inflows on the real exchange rate and export performance. The source of anxiety for all this is the Dutch disease problem of foreign aid. While seemingly beneficial foreign aid inflows may generate undesirable effects in the economy. These undesirable effects include a decline in export performance and manufacturing production caused by appreciation of the real exchange rate and resources moving out of manufacturing into other sectors (Timothy,1997). There are also concerns about aid sustainability. Specifically, while LDCs have been forced to take on greater burden of global adjustment, most donor countries have been unwilling to expand financial support for adjustment in the LDCs (Bigsten, 2003). These could be due to different motives by the donor countries. Instead of addressing the most developmental constraints...

Words: 4919 - Pages: 20

Premium Essay

Combat Hiv/ Aids, Malaria and Other Diseases

...One of the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to "Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases". Their targets are to (1) Stop and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/ AIDS by 2015, (2) Attain universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all the people who need it and (3) Stop and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases by 2015. Globally, new HIV infections continue to decline in some regions dropping 21% from 2001 to 2011. More people are living with HIV due to fewer AIDS - related deaths because of the scaling up of antiretroviral therapy; the continued large number of new infections with 2.5 million people are newly infected each year. Comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission remains low among young people, along with condom use. More orphaned children are now in school due to expanded efforts to mitigate the impact of AIDS (Goal 6, 2013). While the target was missed by 2011, access to treatment for people living with HIV increased in all regions. At the end of 2011, 8 million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV. This total constitutes an increase of over 1.4 million people from December 2010. By the end of 2011, eleven countries had achieved universal access to antiretroviral therapy (Goal 6, 2013). The global estimated incidence of malaria has decreased by 17% since 2000, and malaria -specific mortality rates by 25%. In the decade since 2000, 1.1 million deaths from malaria were averted. Countries with...

Words: 393 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Discuss the View That Hiv/Aids Is a Disease of Poverty

...countries. This takes us directly beyond the epidemiological aspects of the disease to the social and economic dimensions. Many social studies have revealed that HIV and AIDS is fast becoming a social cancer and it can be understood if one was to assess the social structure and the availability of resources in the society. The most affected persons are those who live in the lower strata of the social stratification due to inequalities that comes with social structure. This paper serves to explain that HIV and AIDS is a social problem of poverty and it also looks at other factors such as religion, promiscuity and child rights which also result in the spread of the disease. It is undisputed to say that poverty is implicated in the prevalence in most developing world. Because these countries are generally poor people are normally forced to engage in activities that end up putting them at the risk of HIV. United Nations (2004) revealed that in South Africa more than 6 million people where living with HIV. The paper also revealed that the majority number who were affected were blacks who are generally poor who have no proper housing facilities, mal-nutritional, lack of safe water. Further research has suggested that Botswana and Zimbabwe have high prevalence of the disease due to the poor conditions which prevails in these countries. In Zimbabwe around 2 million people are said to be contracting the disease and an assessment shows that those who are infected are mainly the poor people...

Words: 1823 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Aid, Exports, and Growth: a Time-Series Perspective on the Dutch Disease Hypothesis

...IDB WORKING PAPER SERIES No. IDB-WP-114 Aid, Exports, and Growth: A Time-Series Perspective on the Dutch Disease Hypothesis Joong Shik Kang Alessandro Prati Alessandro Rebucci August 2010 Inter-American Development Bank Department of Research and Chief Economist Aid, Exports, and Growth: A Time-Series Perspective on the Dutch Disease Hypothesis Joong Shik Kang* Alessandro Prati* Alessandro Rebucci** * International Monetary Fund ** Inter-American Development Bank Inter-American Development Bank 2010 Cataloging-in-Publication data provided by the Inter-American Development Bank Felipe Herrera Library Kang, Joong Shik. Aid, exports, and growth : a time-series perspective on the Dutch disease hypothesis / Joong Shik Kang, Alessandro Prati, Alessandro Rebucci. p. cm. (IDB working paper series ; 114) Includes bibliographical references. 1. Economic assistance—Economic aspects. 2. International finance. I. Prati Musetti, Alessandro. II. Rebucci, Alessandro. III. Inter-American Development Bank. Research Dept. IV. Title. V. Series. HC60.S55 2010 © Inter-American Development Bank, 2010 www.iadb.org Documents published in the IDB working paper series are of the highest academic and editorial quality. All have been peer reviewed by recognized experts in their field and professionally edited. The information and opinions presented in these publications are entirely those of the author(s), and no endorsement by the Inter-American Development...

Words: 262 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Aids in the United States

...Cultural and Disease Paper AIDS in the United States There exist deadly diseases which continue to pollute the citizens of the United States. It is essential because each citizen must be enlightened of the circumstances to channel it and at this present time there is absolutely no solution to the problem. The epidemic I am conveying of is AIDS. AIDS does not at all show prejudice in addition to all to everyone is exposed to the disease. The Center for Disease Control in 1981 transferred out their report advertising abnormal deaths and outbreaks (Begley, etal, 2001). In March 1981 there existed about eight instances reported of a contentious form of Kapos’s Sarcomi arrived in New York. In the article it spoke about five homosexual men that had come down with an unusual parasitic lung infection called Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. About the same time there was an increase of Kaposi’s Sarcomi that was a rare form of benign cancer which was for the most part detected in older people. A while after the report outside of the Centers for Disease Control a task force was arranged in order to examine the abnormal increase of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and additional frequent life threatening opportunistic infections (AVERT, 2010). The New disease there was very little known about it, and it seems to be affecting the gay population. At first in the beginning it was a profuse belief around this disease that exist later explain inaccurate. A peculiar assumption was made in...

Words: 1189 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Infectious Diseases

...Title: Infectious Disease paper on HIV/AIDS By: Susan Rhine Date: June 17, 2012 Class: Health and Diseases Teacher: Alexis Deavenport Infectious diseases are rampant throughout the world and only seem to be getting worse. Some of these diseases are treatable, but some are still untreatable even with many years of research. Some of these diseases include: Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, Influenza, Chickenpox, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus(MRSA), Clostridium difficle, Hepatitis B, and Rotavirus. Any of these diseases if contracted, can cause death. The one disease that I would like to discuss today is HIV/AIDS. This is one of the most deadly diseases in the world today. If a person has HIV does not necessarily mean that the person will also have the AIDS virus; it just means that they have the virus that causes AIDS. However; if a person has AIDS, then they will also have HIV because it is the virus that causes AIDS to be brought on. Unfortunately, the spread of AIDS has been great since the year 1981, with over 980,000 cases reported in the United States alone. It is important to know that HIV and AIDS are not the same disease. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and is a virus that can be caught on contact. HIV can eventually turn into the AIDS virus even though it takes time varying in length from a couple months to years. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. When the HIV virus ends up attacking a person’s immune system...

Words: 1003 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Aids

...Aids a Communicable Disease Aids a Communicable Disease Communicable disease is an illness due to a specific infectious agent or its toxic products that arises through transmission of that agent or its products from an infected person, animal or inanimate reservoir to a susceptible host; either directly or indirectly through an intermediate plant or animal host, vector or the inanimate environment (UCLA, 2011). Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a communicable disease that has become a global epidemic. This paper will give the reader a description of the disease, demographic of interest, describe the determinants of health, the epidemiologic triangle as it relates to AIDS. This paper will also discuss the role of community health nurse and organizations that have made an impact on AIDS education and research. The first report of AIDS in medical literature was in 1981 at this time AIDS was known as a disease associated with being gay, this quickly changed when further research revealed a transfusion recipient had been diagnosed as well as an infant in 1982 (UCSF, 2003). The cause of AIDS comes from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which destroys CD4 cells this weakens the bodies immune system, a patient could have HIV for many years before it progresses to AIDS. A person is considered to be infected with AIDS when their CD4 count falls below 200 or they show any of the following symptoms: * Tuberculosis * Cryptosporidiosis * Pneumocystis pneumonia ...

Words: 1487 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Aids

...“ Although there is medication to hold Aids in remission, millions around the world are not able to access the drug and, consequently, thousands continue to die from the disease.” What is AIDS? AIDS is a spectrum condition caused by an infection. Acquired immune deficiency is the last stage of human immunodeficiency virus, Which is transmitted through bodily fluids. Better known as AIDS/ HIV disease “Although there is medications to hold AIDS into remission, millions around the world are not able to access the drug and, consequently thousands continue to die from this deadly disease. AIDS is a deadly disease. AIDS breaks down your immune system due to not being treated for the disease. During this system break down the virus fights your body. Cell to cell transmission is a thousand times more efficient. Most patients who die from Aids succumb to one or more opportunistic infections. AIDS weaken your immune system due to not being treated for this disease. Your body loses the ability to fight many infections. This is why aids is a deadly disease. AIDS doesn't yet have a cure (Liz Szabo, 2012). There are no procedures or medications that have been proven scientifically to reliably eliminates the virus from a person’s body or reverse the damage that it has done to the immune system. At the first stage which is HIV if medicated you could continue to be in submission. There were many different studies to try to find a cure, but they haven't...

Words: 771 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Kofiba

...Infectious Diseases Rachel Lowe University of Phoenix - Axia August 16, 2011 Infectious Diseases There are many different types of infectious diseases, some are treatable and some unfortunately still untreatable. There is no cure for these diseases even though they have been researched for years, these untreatable diseases include but are not limited to cancer, and one of the most deadly diseases Aids and HIV. Having HIV does not mean that the person also has the Aids virus; it means that they have the virus that causes Aids. However if a person has Aids than they also have HIV sense HIV is the virus that causes Aids to set in. There have been over 980,000 cases of Aids reported in the United States since 1981 (Center for Disease control, 2009). HIV and AIDs are not the same disease; HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and can be caught on contact. HIV can turn into the AIDS virus though it takes time which can vary in length from a couple of months to years. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome this means that once the HIV virus starts attacking the immune system and breaks down the necessary cells that keep the body healthy, than AIDS sets in. If however HIV is detected early and medical treatment is established it is possible for the patient to survive with the HIV virus for years. There are medications that can be taken to boost the immune system and help fight back the virus to prevent the onset of AIDS. This virus is spread...

Words: 845 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Communicable Diseases

...Communicable Diseases Jodi L. Smith HCS 457 June 4, 2012 Ms. Sally Kohls Communicable Diseases A communicable disease is an illness that is transmitted through contact of microorganisms. People, animals, and foods are all carriers of microorganisms that can pass an infectious illness from one host to another. A simple touch or exchange of fluids can be all it takes to spread a disease from one individual to another. There are several relevant communicable diseases in America today. In 1993, one communicable disease became more prevalent in today’s culture. The outbreak of the human immunodeficiency virus infection/ Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) has impacted many lives. Although today, the death rates are not as high, it has taken all branches of the government to act together to manage the disease. Human immunodeficiency virus infection / Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).The illness interferes with the immune system, making people with AIDS much more likely to get infections, including opportunistic infections and tumors that do not affect people with working immune systems. This susceptibility gets worse as the disease continues. There have been many efforts taken by all branches of government to control the number of HIV/AIDS cases in America. One of the main organizations that have leaded the efforts is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention...

Words: 996 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Aids and Demographics

...Aids and Demographics Jamene Neal HCS/490 Aids and Demographics Jamene Neal HCS/490...

Words: 1266 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

The Politics of Hiv/Aids

...politics of HIV/AIDS Disease is all around us and when an epidemic hits, it’s not exactly something that everyone can ignore, however when that epidemic turns into a pandemic, many Americans often times pay less attention to the disease in our own country, and more attention to what we are doing in other countries to stop the infection from migrating further. There are currently thirty five million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS and only 1.1 million of those cases are in the United States.(avert.org) With millions of people becoming newly infected each year, many have hoped that with new technological advances, and advances in treatments in medicine, the disease could be contained and maybe someday, cured. However, these hopes have ceased and the realization that this disease has more of an impact than many originally imagined, has ensued. People who originally put this disease on the back burner and saw it as only a small issue affecting a small amount of people, are now expressing their concerns not only for their wellbeing, but for the wellbeing of the country as a whole. These concerns, as well as the concerns for citizens of other countries, have forced many political decisions to be made including the use of foreign aid, and this disease will only continue to have political and economic impacts on the United States both nationally and internationally. From early on, national governments often denied the existence of HIV/AIDS, disregarded the...

Words: 1244 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

And the Band Played on

...The film "And the Band Played On" was a very graphic portrayal of the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the United States. It vividly depicted the medical, social, government, and political forces behind the AIDS epidemic's origin and rapid spread. It tells the political as well as the scientific struggle that occurred with the discovery of AIDS. The main character, Dr. Don Francis, heads the research of AIDS with little money and little help. The reason for the lack of funding was because AIDS was considered the “gay man’s disease” and there was more emphasis on who discovered the disease rather than actually helping those who had it. This movie was about the government and many other individuals being ignorant and looking the other way because homosexual males were seen as a lesser priority and an inferior group. CDC officials ran into a large barrier during their investigation; homosexual men refused to allow themselves to be submitted for testing, and the tracing of their sexual encounters. The CDC took a very long time to trace the spread of the disease to a single person, who turned out to be a homosexual flight attendant who was extremely promiscuous with other men. This was a large accomplishment at the time, but was only a small success in the process as a whole. Other major factors impeded the progress of effectively handling the epidemic. These included the initial lack of interest by media and politicians...

Words: 1297 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals

...empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability, develop a global partnership for development are the eight goals developed by the members of UN (World Health Organization [WHO], 2012). The purpose of this paper is to give an overview about Millennium Development Goal 6 which is, Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases. Implication for Millennium Development Goals The eight Millennium Development Goals are a global agenda to improve the wellbeing of people around the world. The progress report on MDG issued in 2009, shows that policies and actions backed by adequate funding and strong political commitment can yield results. Death rate due to AIDS, have significantly reduced and many countries are implementing strategies to combat malaria and measles. There are many challenges still remaining due to the current economic status of several countries (Mattson, 2010) Millennium Development Goal 6: combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB are major challenges of public health in the poorest countries of the world. Every 30 seconds, a child in Africa is dying due to Malaria. Many children who suffer from Malaria develop learning disabilities or brain damage ("End Poverty 2015 Millennium Campaign," n.d). Millennium Development Goal 6 which is, combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases is interrelated with several other goals, such as the promotion of gender...

Words: 1410 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Biology in the News

...Immunity Student: Email: Date: I. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) EXERCISE 8.1 – AIDS streaming video 1. View the video AIDS, What Everyone Needs to Know. Answer the following questions that relate to this film. 2. When and how did scientists discover AIDS? 3. Who can get AIDS? 4. What do the letters AIDS stand for? 5. What is the body’s first line of defense against an infection? 6. What is the body’s second line of defense against an infection? 7. Which cells of the immune system recognize an invader first? 8. What is the role of the Helper T cells in the immune system? 9. Which type of cell does the AIDS virus invade? 10. Which groups of people in the United States contracted AIDS first? 11. How long can the virus remain inactive in a person’s body? Can people spread the virus before they have symptoms of the disease? 12. How is the disease transmitted? 13. Is the virus found in saliva and tears? 14. How can a person become infected with the AIDS virus? 15. At the time this film was produced, how many people in the United States were thought to have the virus? 16. What are symptoms of AIDS? 17. What usually causes death in an AIDS patient? 18. What are ways that you cannot get AIDS? 19. How can you avoid getting AIDS? 20. Describe sexual transmission of HIV during: vaginal sex: ...

Words: 684 - Pages: 3