AIDS Prevention in Africa Essay - 1628 Words

During the last three decades, the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus have taken the lives of many women and men in Africa, as well as infecting their unborn children. Is there enough being done to eradicate this disease in Africa, and will the cost of these treatments limit those who do not have the available income to afford these drugs? Scientist and researchers have worked over the years to find a cure or vaccine for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, but it remains the most incurable infection in the world. â€Å"There are several promising drug therapies now becoming available which are far too expensive for poor countries to afford† (Economist, Vol. 344,†¦show more content†¦If all those infected take the antiretroviral-drug therapy they can live a long life and almost never pass on the virus, even through unprotected sex. If everyone was on therapy, there would be little or no tra nsmission. Aids prevention has been a challenge for those working in countries that have large numbers of people infected with the AIDS virus. Education is vital to the eradication of AIDS. In an effort to halt the spread of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, there are organizations conducting sustained education, training and community mobilization efforts in close collaboration with African partner organizations. Existing anti-HIV drugs are being investigated as a method of preventing transmission in two different ways. One approach is for people who are HIV – positive to start taking the drugs while their CD4 count, white blood cells used to fight infection, is still high, before they need treatment for the sake of their own health. The drugs reduce the amount of virus in their body fluids, making it harder to pass on the virus. â€Å"An earlier start to treatment seems to cut transmission by an impressive 16 percent during the clinical trial† (Pisani). The public health establishment has procrastinated about the â€Å"evidence-based† approaches to HIV prevention, â€Å"we should only do what has been proven to work†. The trouble is that thi ngs that succeed in â€Å"careful scientific studies can fail miserably when translated into real life. The bottom line to AIDSShow MoreRelatedHistory Of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome1272 Words   |  6 PagesThe history of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in the United States starts in 1981, the year it became recognized by country as an official new strange disease. By 1982 it was recognized as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It started in San Francisco, with five young homosexual men, they were presented with Pneumonia (PCP). As the year went on there were more reports of homosexual men presenting PCP and some of them were diagnosed with PCP and Kaposi ´s Sarcoma (KS). Others reportsRead MoreStephen Lewis, A Canadian Politician And Humanitarian1311 Words   |  6 PagesAfricans suffer through the AIDS pandemic, and critically examined how the neglect of global communities and their discrimination contributed to its failure to resolve. While the rest of the world seemed to be unresponsive to an AIDS-ravaged continent, Mr. Lewis found himself passionately involved in the crisis and began to take action. Since his involvement with the United Nations in 1984, Stephen Lewis has tirelessly advocated for African citizens affected by HIV and AIDS, ensured that health careRead MoreHiv / Aids : A Devastating Disease1482 Words   |  6 PagesHIV/AIDS is a devastating disease that has predominated in Africa due to the long incubation period of the virus, poverty, sexual promiscuousness, urbanization, trading routes, lack of knowledge, medical advances (use of needles, blood transfusion), and gender inequalities. 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