...problem: HIV/AIDS is an epidemic in South Africa but so far government initiatives for prevention have not yet been effective Paper being submitted to: the Department of Health and the Department of Education HIV/AIDS is huge problem in our society in today’s world and so far government initiatives are not effective in reducing the number of new HIV infections. Millions of people die from this disease on a yearly basis. The HIV virus is transmitted by the exchange of bodily fluids from one person to another. This may be through sexual intercourse, the sharing of needles and through labour. One the virus is contracted; it weakens the body’s immune system, making the individual susceptible to various infectious diseases and results in the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Although many programs in South Africa are put in place that aim at combating this disease, so far they have not been successful in decreasing the number of people dying from this disease, instead the numbers seem to be increasing each year. It is because of the above mentioned problem that I, along with the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) have put together a proposal that will provide an alternative solution to this epidemic The proposal mostly focuses on prevention. Firstly; schools, starting from primary right up to high schools, as well as tertiary institutions, will provide compulsory courses which educate learners about HIV prevention. Secondly;...
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...1.1 INTRODUCTION HIV and AIDS pandemic in the African continent has had a short but devastating history. Sub-Saharan Africa is more profoundly affected by HIV as compared to any other part of the world. Approximately 23 million people are said to be living with the deadly virus in the region which translates to about two thirds of the universal total. In 2010 alone, around 2 million people contracted the disease while 1.2 million died in sub-Saharan Africa. Since the onset of the pandemic, over 15 million children have lost one or both of the parents to HIV and AIDS. The social- economic effects of AIDS pandemic have not only been experienced in the health sector but also in agriculture, transport, human resource, education and the economy as at large (UNAIDS 2010). HIV and AIDS is therefore a major burden and challenge to the social, health and economic development of the African continent. There can be no significant growth in the region as long as the issue of AIDS is not addressed urgently. The impact of HIV and AIDS in the African continent and the world at large cannot be down played. This means that immediate measures should be taken by the general public and governments in order to curb the ever increasing effects of HIV pandemic to the African continent. Due to the economic standing of the African continent coupled with socio-cultural practices, HIV continues to spread at an alarming rate. Any further delays to address this issue will turn out to be detrimental...
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...affected thirty-six point nine million people world wide, with two point six million being children (global stat1). Even though HIV/aids affects people world wide the vast majority of people living with HIV are in low income countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. That is why whenever the word aids/HIV comes up in a conversation,...
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...HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is an infectious disease. This means that it can move from person to person via various methods, including sexual intercourse. HIV is a retrovirus; this means that it reverse copies its own structure into that of the host’s white blood cells and reproduces inside, meaning HIV doesn’t have any visible symptoms for many years, allowing it to be passed from person to person unnoticed. AIDS is the next level of HIV. This is determined when an individual’s white blood cell count drops below 200, deeming it to be AIDS and no longer HIV. At risk groups in South Africa Everyone in Africa is at risk of getting HIV/AIDS. However, there are some vulnerable groups that have a higher chance than others. These groups include: men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, sex workers, children, prisoners and women as a result of gang rape or in a sexual relationship. Although worldwide the majority of HIV infections are transmitted through sex between men and women, there are still curtain groups such as the ones above that have also been extremely badly affected. HIV particularly affects adolescents and young people which accounted for 39% of all new infections and 15% of people living with HIV in 2012. This poses a larger risk for these groups in Africa because of the age range and the stigma and discrimination of people who have HIV. Prevention Strategies adopted in South Africa against HIV/AIDS The strategy of preventing HIV/AIDS in South...
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...framework for understanding human behaviour, based on a cognitive formulation which he named the Social Cognitive Theory. That framework is currently the dominant version used in health behaviour and health promotion; however, it is still often referred to as Social Learning Theory. The impetus for this special issue on HIV came from a discussion a few years ago during which we established a shared interest in a revival of the sort of scholarly innovation that characterized the early years of the HIV epidemic. As far back as the early 1980s, social theorists, cultural, critics, artists and others created a vibrant body of work on HIV/AIDS. Working from various theoretical and disciplinary sites they steadfastly emphasized the ‘social’ for understanding the significance of AIDS and opened up new avenues for critiquing and re-imagining scientific, cultural and social responses to infectious disease. At its best, this work served also as an impetus for queer theory, various feminist critiques and a range of research under the rubric of science, medicine and technology studies. The contributions made by this early work and its effects on public discourse on HIV/AIDS were multiple. Among the more groundbreaking contributions worth underscoring here were analyses that destabilized the neutrality of scientific knowledge and practice, emphasizing the malleability and culture-bound nature of its disease definitions (Martin, 1994) as well as...
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... the largest metropolitan area in the continent of Africa. The population of the main metropolitan area is 1,907,229 ( WorldBook encycl.130). Johannesburg is also one of the world richest gold fields. Despite these positive aspects, Johannesburg is a city with a dismal future, because it is suffering from one of the world's worst AIDS epidemics. Every Saturday, nearby cemeteries are busy with the arrival of people who have died from AIDS. Funeral directors state that about 30 or 40 people are buried every week, as a result of AIDS. It is said that in South Africa, one of every ten people has AIDS. Some 17 million people in Africa have died representing almost 80% of AIDS deaths world wide. This is the equivalent of the combined populations of New York City and Los Angeles (www.Time/2001/aidsafrica). There is a conspiracy of silence fueling the spread of HIV in South Africa. Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa, and has one of the fastest growing infection rates AIDS is now South Africa's leading cause of death. Last year it accounted for 40% of all deaths between the ages of 15 and 49 (US.news2.yimg.com). By the year 2010, HIV prevalence in adults is projected to reach 25% of the total population. South Africa is projected to have the highest AIDS death rate until 2015. At that point, the population will have decreased to the point that the death rate will no longer be as high as in other areas. South Africa has a population close to 40 million people - an estimated...
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...Aids is becoming a worldwide epidemic. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This virus causes the body’s immune system to be weak and useless in fighting even the smallest illnesses. Aids became prevalent in the USA in early 1980’s when the center for disease control recognized a rare virus among five healthy gay men. “This marked the first official reports of what became known as the AIDS epidemic.” ( http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/aids-timeline/) AIDS/HIV is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The rapid spread of this virus is largely due to unprotected sex, blood transfusions, IV drug use, and mother to child. A lack of education, social economics, and access to health care are among the major factors that play a large role in this Global epidemic. Underdeveloped countries such as South Africa, Brazil, and Kenya are among some of the largest prevalence. The United States is not excluded from the list of countries facing this wide spread disease. This disease has no boundaries and affects every country. The lack of education in the subject of how the virus spreads as well as the lack of literacy in a nation is an important factor in the spread of the HIV virus. Due to the high stigmatization of people living with HIV and the world wide misunderstanding of the disease causes many people and governments to just ignore this disease. Fear of the unknown adds to the fuel and causes...
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...Drawing Conclusions about HIV Youth Intervention Programs Laurie Blake, Karen Gividen, Judy Kintner, Andrea Plati, Casey Thompson NURS 6030- 4 The Practice of Population-Based Care Walden University August 14, 2011 Drawing Conclusions about HIV Youth Intervention Programs Team E investigated the topic of young people in the United States who continue to be at risk for human immunosuppressive virus (HIV). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes young people as individuals ages 13-24 (CDC, 2008). The team focused on education and prevention interventions for fighting the spread of HIV in the youth population. The members of Team E researched intervention programs and conducted personal interviews to formulate recommendations for a director of a public health department regarding appropriate education programs and prevention interventions which could be implemented by the health department to fight the spread of HIV in youth. Intervention Programs to Educate Youth Several interventions will be included in the education plan for youth age 13-24. The plan will address the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the known correlation of early sexual activity and development of STDs with increased risk of contracting HIV (HAHSTA Annual Report, 2010). To reach the largest population of youth, we will partner with public and private middle schools, high schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, teen pregnancy clinics, and local churches and...
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...The impact of HIV & AIDS in Africa Two-thirds of all people infected with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa, although this region contains little more than 10% of the world’s population.1 AIDS has caused immense human suffering in the continent. The most obvious effect of this crisis has been illness and death, but the impact of the epidemic has certainly not been confined to the health sector; households, schools, workplaces and economies have also been badly affected. During 2008 alone, an estimated 1.4 million adults and children died as a result of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.2 Since the beginning of the epidemic more than 15 million Africans have died from AIDS.3 Although access to antiretroviral treatment is starting to lessen the toll of AIDS, fewer than half of Africans who need treatment are receiving it.4 The impact of AIDS will remain severe for many years to come. The impact on the health sector In all heavily affected countries the AIDS epidemic is adding additional pressure on the health sector. As the epidemic matures, the demand for care for those living with HIV rises, as does the toll of AIDS on health workers. In sub-Saharan Africa, the direct medical costs of AIDS (excluding antiretroviral therapy) have been estimated at about US$30 per year for every person infected, at a time when overall public health spending is less than US$10 per year for most African countries.5 The effect on hospitals [pic] Nurses working on the HIV ward at Kisiizi Hospital in Uganda ...
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...Benchmark Assignment: HIV Epidemiology Paper Dawn Hickey-Johnson Grand Canyon University Benchmark Assignment: HIV Epidemiology Paper “The global trends and adverse health impact of HIV, viral hepatitis, STIs, and TB remain among the major and urgent public health challenges of our time. These conditions account for substantial morbidity and mortality, with devastating fiscal and emotional costs to individuals, families, and societies. Despite decades of investment and support, the U.S. still experiences a disproportionate burden of these conditions compared with other Western industrialized nations, with substantial health disparities being observed across population subgroups and geographic regions.” (Hazel D. Dean, ScD, MPH Kevin A. Fenton, MD, PhD, 2010) This paper will focus specifically on HIV/AIDS. “ Genetic research indicates that HIV originated in west-central Africa during the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. · AIDS was first recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1981 and its cause, HIV, identified in the early 1980s. ("STOP AIDS," 2009) Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome(AIDS) is a disease caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HIV attacks the human immune system, and progressively reduces its effectiveness, leaving the host susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors. Due to the extended incubation period, the time between being infected with the virus and the manifestation...
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...HIV Epidemiology J**** A******* Grand Canyon University: NRS-427V August 2, 2014 HIV Epidemiology Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus spread through body fluids that affects specific cells of the immune system, called CD4 cells, or T cells. Over time, HIV can destroy so many of these cells that the body can’t fight off infections and disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2015). HIV is spread when certain body fluids from an infected HIV individual: blood, semen (cum), pre-seminal fluid (pre-cum), rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milk; are transmitted through a mucous membrane or damaged tissue or be directly injected into the bloodstream. It is only under these specific conditions that HIV can be transmitted, it is not spread from causal contact with an infected individual. Early signs and symptoms include: fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, headache, malaise, nausea, muscle and joint pain, diarrhea, and a diffuse rash. In the progression of HIV, these symptoms worsen and additional symptoms include: localized infections, lymphadenopathy, nervous system manifestations, and the presence of oropharyngeal candidiasis (thrush). Other infections that can also occur include: shingles, persistent vaginal candida infections, outbreaks of oral or genital herpes, bacterial infections, and Kaposi sarcoma (KS). The biggest complication of HIV is the progression of the infection to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Numerous...
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...Public health expenditures. 2. Inpatient hospital admissions. 3. Outpatient health clinic visits. 4. Increases the amount of people to be off from school and work. 5. It will decrease tourism. 6. Inhibits foreign investment. 7. Affects crop production. | Malaria has not been properly avoided as the widespread of insecticide spray has led to environmental issues occurring. This can also lead to health issues for example when the pesticide is being sprayed, it can flow with rain water into nearby streams contaminating water. The spray can also affect crop production so if people eat the food they could become ill but as well as that if the crop production is affected there could be less food production. | HIV in South Africa | The symptoms of HIV are; fever, sore throat, body rash, tiredness, joint ache, muscle ache,...
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...is going to continuously happened, the amount of poor will increase. It is happening in Africa and Asia, where millions of people die every day which caused by problems like hunger and lack of medical care. Western countries are defined as the country that located at western hemisphere affairs such as United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, and America (Worldatlas, year unknown). These countries organise various projects to eradicate these issues so that poverty can be solved. Global poverty is defined as a lack of material wealth needed to maintain existence (The Three Dictionary,2011). This essay will seek to argue that western countries are doing enough to fight global poverty. These will be referenced on the three areas of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, improving the supply of medicine to those in need and providing education to young children. To begin with, western countries are doing enough to fight global poverty because they are eradicating hunger. Western countries provide food and daily needs for the poor through funding or organization like Millennium Development Goals by the United Nations. Around the world more than 2.5 billion of poor live in grinding poverty on less than $2 a day (the UN Works for People and the Planet, 2011). According to the “8 Goals For Africa Campaign”, which is established by the Millennium Development Goals Advocacy Campaign by the UN of South Africa, one of the commitments signed by the UN Millennium Declaration on September 2008 stated...
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...10 Combination HIV Prevention: Tailoring and Coordinating Biomedical, Behavioural and Structural Strategies to Reduce New HIV Infections A UNAIDS Discussion Paper UNAIDS – JC2007 (English original, September 2010) © Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 2010. All rights reserved. Publications produced by UNAIDS can be obtained from the UNAIDS Content Management Team. Requests for permission to reproduce or translate UNAIDS publications—whether for sale or for noncommercial distribution— should also be addressed to the Content Management Team at the address below, or by fax, at +41 22 791 4835, or e-mail: publicationpermissions@unaids.org. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNAIDS concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers’ products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by UNAIDS in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters. All reasonable precautions have been taken by UNAIDS to verify the information contained in this publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any...
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...HIV/AIDS treatments: Sub-Saharan African nations still have a long way to go HIV-AIDS has infected over thirty million people in the world. Over 95% of all AIDS cases in the world are in Africa and in some of those countries over 40% of the people are infected (Frederickson and Kanabus HIV and AIDS in Africa 1). AIDS does not solely affect homosexuals, or any certain ethnicity of people, either; HIV-AIDS can affect any type of ethnicity including African Americans, Caucasians, Asians, Indians, and Hispanic people. AIDS cannot be reversed or cured, but with proper treatment this deadly virus can be controlled and people can live a nearly normal life. In Africa, though, proper treatment is not nearly as available as it is in some other countries. Approximately 2.3 million people died in 2003 in Sub-Saharan Africa alone and that is only the beginning (Frederickson and Kanabus HIV 1). Particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where hospital provide inferior treatment to infected patients because of their socioeconomic status, lack of training of their health providers, shortage of medical staffs, lack of appropriate equipment, insufficient funds allocated for medicine and doctors salary and the absence of counselor or prevention unit in these facilities. HIV/Aids has been named a global epidemic with its toll felt significantly especially in Africa. It has been a major cause of death in the world; it also continued to be a public health concern. It poses huge threat of wiping out...
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