HIV prevention in Africa
A continuing rise in the number of HIV infected people is not inevitable. There is growing evidence that prevention efforts can be effective, and this includes initiatives in some of the most heavily affected countries.
One new study in Zambia has shown success in prevention efforts. The study reported that urban men and women are less sexually active, that fewer had multiple partners and that condoms were used more consistently. This is in line with findings that HIV prevalence has declined significantly among 15-29 year-old urban women (down to 24.1% in 1999 from 28.3% in 1996). Although these rates are still unacceptably high, this drop has prompted a hope that, if Zambia continues this response, it could become the second African country to reverse a devastating epidemic.
This suggests that awareness campaigns and prevention programs are now starting to work. But a major challenge is to sustain and build on such uncertain success.
What form should AIDS education take?
Peer education
A social form of education without classrooms or notebooks, where people are educated outside a 'school' environment but still have the opportunity to ask questions.
Most peer education focuses on providing information about HIV transmission, answering questions and handing out condoms to people in a workplace, perhaps in a bar, or where a group of women gather to wash clothes.
Most peer educators make contact with their target audience at least weekly and their sessions will usually be in the context of informal discussions with individual people or within a group.
Active learning
Active learning can sometimes link into peer education, especially when AIDS education is aimed at young people, as one of the best methods of learning something oneself is to teach it to others.
Blanket education
A general message aimed at the population as a whole. Blanket education usually aims to inform the population about which behaviors are risky and to give them support in changing these behaviors.
Targeted education
This type of strategy is usually used to speak to social groups who are perceived as being at a high risk of HIV infection. It focuses on risky activities particular to the specific target group.
AFRICA ALIVE!
January of 2000 kicked off the campaign to literally help keep Africa Alive! in the new millennium.
The Mission of the Africa Alive! campaign is to give youth the skills they need to fight against HIV/AIDS. The vision is a new generation of Africans who are HIV/AIDS-free.
The good news is that if we act with urgency, we have a great chance to impact the lives of millions of Africans for the better. It seems obvious that, according to Kofi Annan's essay, the best way to do this is by targeting the women of Africa. Through the use of AIDS education, new drought-resistant crops, and international resources it is possible to reduce the spread of AIDS and, in turn, help to lower starvation rates.
Since the development of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in the 1990s, HIV/AIDs has evolved from a death sentence into a treatable disease. It has presented a unique global health problem because while the treatments were very effective, they were extremely expensive, required advanced laboratory monitoring, were prescribed indefinitely, and required excellent patient compliance. In many of the developing countries devastated by AIDs/HIV, the health and societal infrastructures often had difficult supporting an effective treatment program. For that reason, it is estimated that 71% of HIV/AID cases are in sub-Saharan Africa and only 39% of of them are on ART (AVERT, 2015). Southern Africa is often considered the “epicenter” of the
Although the sub-Saharan region accounts for just 10% of the world’s population, 67% (22.5 million) of the 33.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS in 1998 were residents of one of the 34 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, and of all AIDS deaths since the epidemic started, 83% have occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (Gilks, 1999, p. 180). Among children under age 15 living with HIV/AIDS, 90% live in sub-Saharan Africa as do 95% of all AIDS orphans. In several of the 34 sub-Saharan nations, 1 out of every 4 adults is HIV-positive (UNAIDS, 1998, p. 1). Taxing low-income countries with health care systems inadequate to handle the burden of non-AIDS related illnesses, AIDS has devastated many of the sub-Saharan African economies. The impact of AIDS on the region is such that it is now affecting demographics - changing mortality and fertility rates, reducing lifespan, and ultimately affecting population growth.
There is a lot of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, causing these women to put providing for their families over their own health, which is understandable. Although they might have access to condoms and know they are at risk of HIV/AIDS, what they might not understand is how far these infections can spread. Evidence-based information provided in a fun and engaging session may make these women realize just how many people they are putting at risk, including their own family members. Learning condom negotiation skills may help them better protect themselves and their sexual partners. These sessions may allow these women to feel more comfortable discussing sexual health, and encourage them to get tested. Being surrounded by their peers in a non-judgemental setting may encourage them to make changes, or support each other’s decisions to make
The federal initiative provides funding for prevention and support programs, research and statistical analysis of HIV/AIDS trends by region of the country (phac-aspc.gc.ca, 2012). The goals of the federal initiative are aimed at preventing the transmission and acquisition of HIV/AIDS, to slow the spread of the disease and improve the quality of life of those infected with disease (phac-aspc.gc.ca, 2012). The overall diagnosis of new HIV/AIDS has decreased in Canada between 1996 and 2012, with a high of 2729 new cases in 1996 and a low of 2062 new cases in 2012, which is an overall reduction of 667 new cases per year (phac-aspc.gc.ca, 2012).
According to the CDC, almost 1.1 million people in the United States have HIV, yet almost 20% of those people are unaware that they are living with the condition (CDC, 2013c). When the HIV broke out almost 30 years ago in the United States, the number of new cases in a year was 130,000. Now, each year the new number of cases being presented is approximately 50,000 (CDC, 2013c). In locations like Sub-Saharan Africa, the statistics are higher. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) states, “In 2011, an estimated 23.5 million people living with HIV resided in sub-Saharan Africa, representing 69% of the global HIV burden” (UNAIDS, 2012). The World Health Organization (WHO) reinforces this point by saying, “Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region [of HIV], with nearly 1 in every 20 adults living with HIV. Sixty nine per cent of all people living with HIV are living in this region” (WHO, 2013a). The statistics of infected people living in the United States is alarming but there are other countries, like Africa, which have higher rates of HIV due to very limited
According to WHO in 2007, “more than 95% of HIV cases are in developing countries, with two-thirds of them in sub-Saharan Africa. “ In addition, there were 2.1 million deaths related to HIV and 2.5 million...
HIV/AIDS is an illness that has been present for over three decades, all regions of the world are affected with this virus, but some regions such as the Sub-Saharan Africa are the worst hit with high incidence and prevalence. HIV is a preventable virus, it is commonly transmitted through unprotected sex, sharing drug injection equipment such as needles with someone that is HIV positive and through other body fluids such as blood, semen, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids and breast milk. South Africa has the largest number of people with HIV majority of these numbers being women. In the study by Rehle et al it is stated that in South Africa (SA) both men and women matured 15-49 years were evaluated to be 2.0 new diseases every year per 100 susceptible
Statistics have been show a frightening increase in AIDS/HIV cases. As of the year 2012, South Africa has had the most cases of HIV/AIDS coming to a total of 6,070,800 ("Country Comparison :: HIV/AIDS”). This is a huge contributing factor to this conspira...
Africa is a region of the world often associated with HIV due to the infection’s enduring prevalence on the continent. Specifically, Sub-Saharan Africa is the area of the world with the most infected individuals, approximately 26.6 million with roughly 1.4 million new infections each year (Bowler; White). This equates to 2/3 of all HIV infected individuals around the world. In this region it is harder to obtain treatment than in other areas of the world, with only 41 percent of people living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa having access to ART (“Data”). A subset of Sub-Saharan Africa that has the highest epidemic rate is Southern Africa, which consists of nine countries. Table 1 lists the countries in Southern Africa and shows
This article explains the overall epidemiology of HIV in South Africa. Williams goes over the spread of the disease and the differences in prevalence among different provinces. He also explains that prevalence increases with age after 15 years of age and that the disease is more prevalent among women. Williams also describes different factors that may have a significant impact on the spread HIV including circular migration, something that is often blamed for the rapidness of the spread of HIV. Finally, Williams describes different treatments and prevention strategies and their effectiveness, and the research needed and steps to be taken to reduce the continued spread of the disease.
To decrease HIV transmission and to minimise the impact of the epidemic, on children, young people and families, through the growing effectiveness of national action to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the East of Asia and the Pacific regions. They aim to provide practical support and aid at community level, encouraging the full engament of people affected by HIV/AIDS.
They recognise their social responsibility towards HIV/Aids and provides support and training that focuses on the prevention of the disease.
A country once in denial now has it’s South African political leaders addressing the disease that is slowing killing their population The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which evolves into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is affecting South Africa socially as well as economically. This disease is also leaving over a million and a half children orphaned. Most of these children are not only orphaned but living with the virus as well.
The emergence of HIV/AIDS is viewed globally as one of the most serious health and developmental challenges our society faces today. Being a lentivirus, HIV slowly replicates over time, attacking and wearing down the human immune system subsequently leading to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) at which point the affected individual is exposed to life threatening illnesses and eventual death. Despite the fact that a few instances of this disease have been accounted for in all parts of the world, a high rate of the aforementioned living with HIV are situated in either low or medium wage procuring nations. The Sub-Saharan region Africa is recognized as the geographic region most afflicted by the pandemic. In previous years, people living with HIV or at risk of getting infected did not have enough access to prevention, care and treatment neither were they properly sensitized about the disease. These days, awareness and accessibility to all the mentioned (preventive methods, care etc.) has risen dramatically due to several global responses to the epidemic. An estimated half of newly infected people are among those under age 25(The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic). It hits hard as it has no visible symptoms and can go a long time without being diagnosed until one is tested or before it is too late to manage.