Embedded Files
Click on the link below to see the countries with highest number of deaths caused by HIV/Aids
http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/hiv-aids/by-country/
Watch the video below on spread of HIV in Myanmar.
Why is it difficult to manage the spread of HIV/AIDS?
Another video on the stigma of HIV in China
Research on a country affected by HIV/AIDS and submit a written report (of no more than 1000 words) after 2 weeks. In the report, students must address the following points:
Data/Statistics on HIV/AIDS on the chosen country
Factors contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS
Impacts of HIV/AIDS on the country
Challenges in managing the spread of HIV/AIDS
Role of different groups in managing the spread of HIV/AIDS
View a video by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation which revisits the thirty years of the AIDS pandemic through the lens of children, and spotlights the current momentum toward the elimination of new pediatric HIV infections: http://vimeo.com/41559765#
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation from Marcus Brooks on Vimeo.
HIV/AIDS is a human hazard and is the most devastating disease humankind has ever faced. Since its discovery in the 1980s, 65 million people have been infected with HIV and AIDS has killed more than 25 million people.
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV destroys certain blood cells that are crucial to the normal function of the immune system, which defends the body against illness.
AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. It occurs when the immune system is weakened by HIV to the point where a person develops any number of diseases or cancers
The patterns of infection and mortality (deaths) from HIV have a very clear GEOGRAPHIC PATTERN. The map below reveals this pattern.
Map of Global AIDS prevalence
Southern and Sub Saharan Africa have by far the greatest rates of prevalence (the % of the population living with the disease). LDCs have similarly high rates, such as India, Thailand and Laos. DCs tend to have lower prevalence rates. This is due to many factors, including cultural factors which might limit protection, a lack of available protection, low education levels about the disease and an inability to afford the drugs which can slow the progression of HIV.
The impact on these countries is devastating, the life expectancy is falling and many children are born with the disease, and are destined to become AIDS orphans.
Source: http://www.coolgeography.co.uk/year9/risky_earth_human_risks.php
How does the following map show relocation diffusion and expansion diffusion contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS?
Relocation diffusion is the spread of infectious diseases to a new area due to the movement of people.
According to the maps, HIV virus originated from Ethiopia with more than 80% in 1985
By 1990, it spread southwards to new locations such as Zambia with more than 80%; Gabon & South Africa 40-59%; Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda & Tanzania 0-19%.
By 2000, more African countries in the South are infected with HIV/AIDS, including Botswana, Zimbawe, Momzambique >80%)
At the same time, incidence of HIV virus increased in same locations, suggesting expansion diffusion. For example, Tanzania 0-19% to 40-59%; South Africa, from 40-59% to more than 80%.
However, incidence rate in Gabon decreased from 60-79% in 1990 to 0-19% in 2000 from.
A very disturbing article on how HIV is spread in the remote part of Malawi, Africa where parents send their daughters to be sexually initiated by local men - called "hyenas" - when they reach puberty.- http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36843769
Factors contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDs
Social Factors
Social stigma related to the disease
HIV/AIDS patients face various forms of discrimination, which may include refused access to health care, rejection by family and communities and being expelled from school and denial from housing
Due to prejudice against people with HIV/AIDS and ignorance about how the disease is transmitted, early intervention was hindered in both DCs and LDCs during the 1980s which contributed to the spread of the disease
Education
Many people are not aware of how the disease can be transmitted and this could be due to the lack of education
People do not know how to protect themselves and avoid being infected, causing them to be more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and causing the spread
Cultural practices that keep girls from knowing about sex and sexuality until marriage
For example, sexuality awareness education is not conducted in schools in Nigeria and this ignorance could propagate the spread of HIV/AIDS among the people
Lifestyle choices
Drug injection or sharing needles or refusal to use condoms may increase one’s risk of being infected with HIV/AIDS, contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS
Drug and alcohol intoxication affect judgement and can lead to unsafe sexual practices, which put people at risk for getting HIV or transmitting it to someone else
Lapses in medical practices
Mistakes, corruption and negligence associated with medical practices contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS
According to WHO, about 5% to 10% of HIV infections were transmitted by blood transfusion tainted with HIV/AIDS
Occurred in countries where there was no effective blood screening before blood was donated
For example, in USA, 130 000 patients were potentially exposed to HIV between 2001 and 2011 because contaminated containers and syringes were used in blood transfusions, contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS
Economic Factors
Vice trades
In China, women move from villages to cities in search of work often have limited access to education and job training
They were only able to find jobs with low pay and no job security
Therefore, they often resort to commercial sex and this causes them to be more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS
Mobility
Men who move to cities or mining areas in search of work often leave behind their families, and they often feel socially excluded
Thus they may get involved in risk-taking behaviours and put themselves at risk of being infected with HIV, contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS
Development of modern transportation has helped in the spread of HIV/AIDS rapidly across the globe at a shorter period of time and reach more people
Tourists often take risks like drinking more and engaged in unprotected sex, thus tourism industry contributes to the spread of HIV/AIDS
For example, in 2010, 206 people in Queensland, Australia were diagnosed with HIV when they travelled for a vacation to Papua New Guinea, a country that has high HIV/AIDS prevalence
What are the impacts of HIV/AIDs
Social impacts
Life expectancy and Infant mortality rate
Increases the number of deaths and reduces life expectancy, population size and population growth
For example, large number of death occur mostly in LDCs where HIV/AIDS is prevalent such as Botswana, Kenya and Uganda
HIV/AIDS reduces the country’s life expectancy
In countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, their life expectancies are almost 6 years lower than what it would have been in the absence of the disease
HIV/AIDS also caused an increase in IMR
For example, it increased for Uganda from the mid-1980s onwards
Orphan crisis
Large numbers of children lose their parents due to HIV/AIDS
Almost 17 million orphans due to HIV/AIDS
Almost 87% of them live in Sub-Saharan African countries such as Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda
Carers of the orphans are plagued by deeper poverty due to the medical costs and living expenses incurred when the orphans stay with them
Orphans without the support of relatives or family friends are vulnerable to forced labour, to being forced into sex industry and to recruitment as child soldiers
They suffer from emotional trauma of losing their parents and are often stigmatized by society through association with HIV/AIDS
Limit their access to basic necessities such as shelter, food, clothing, health and education
More likely to suffer from malnutrition and illnesses, as well as be infected with HIV/AIDS
Economic impacts
Cost of health care
Expensive health care costs for individuals and countries as they come in the form of high health care expenditures by governments for treating complications from HIV/AIDS
Antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS can be expensive in both DCs and LDCs
For example in Singapore, a combination of such drugs can cost from US$160 to US$1200 per month
In LDCs, antiretroviral drugs can cost from US$69 to US$900 per year
The drugs will have to be taken daily for the patient’s entire life and such high cost is borne by NGOs or by the governments in some LDCs
Funds and resources are also required for pregnant mothers with HIV/AIDS to go through screening and to care for HIV/AIDS patients
When this happens, government divert resources and funds that could have used to develop in other areas in the country, thus slowing the economic growth
For example, government of South Africa spent US$1.2 billion in 2010 in health care expenditure for HIV/AIDS patients
This large amount of money could have been spent on other public services such as roads, public transport systems, schools and sanitation in the country
Loss of productivity resulting in slower economic growth
Businesses are unlikely to invest in places without adequate infrastructure, no skilled labour force and a population with poor health
HIV/AIDS slows economic growth through a shortage of skilled labour in the workforce.
Also causes high death rates which shrinks workforce
Leads to illnesses that cause an employee to be absent from work for long hours, resulting in reduced labour productivity
Lack of funds to build an effective education system results in lower skilled workforce and this deters foreign investments and hindered economic growth
For example, Uganda experienced slow economic growth due to HIV/AIDS
Economic growth slowed by 1.2% each year due to the disease and if this trend continues, the country’s economic growth will have been reduced by up to 39% by 2025 as a result of HIV/AIDS
Page updated
Report abuse