admin
Dr Tendai Zuze
MONDAY December 1 was World AIDS Day. This day is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. It is celebrated worldwide, often with education on AIDS prevention and control.
The international theme for this year’s world AIDS day is “Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero deaths from AIDS related illness. Zero discrimination.” The African Union came up with its own theme for Africa which is “Getting to Zero in Africa- Africa’s Responsibility, Everyone’s Responsibility”.
In the spirit of demystifying HIV and AIDS and fighting stigma, here is some information on AIDS from the World Health Organisation website.
HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 39 million lives so far.
There were approximately 35 million people living with HIV at the end of 2013 with 2,1 million people becoming newly infected with HIV in 2013 globally.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region, with 24,7 million people living with HIV in 2013. Also sub-Saharan Africa accounts for almost 70 percent of the global total of new HIV infections.
HIV infection is usually diagnosed through blood tests detecting the presence or absence of HIV antibodies.
There is no cure for HIV infection. However, effective treatment with antiretroviral (ARV) drugs can control the virus so that people with HIV can enjoy healthy and productive lives.
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) targets the immune system and weakens people’s surveillance and defence systems against infections and some types of cancer.
As the virus destroys and impairs the function of immune cells, infected individuals gradually become immunodeficient. Immune function is typically measured by CD4 cell count.
Immunodeficiency results in increased susceptibility to a wide range of infections and diseases that people with healthy immune systems can fight off.
The most advanced stage of HIV infection is Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which can take from 2 to 15 years to develop depending on the individual. AIDS is defined by the development of certain cancers, infections, or other severe clinical manifestations.
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of HIV vary depending on the stage of infection. Though people living with HIV tend to be most infectious in the first few months, many are unaware of their status until later stages. The first few weeks after initial infection, individuals may experience no symptoms or an influenza-like illness including fever, headache, rash or sore throat.
As the infection progressively weakens the person’s immune system, the individual can develop other signs and symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, fever, diarrhoea and cough. Without treatment, they could also develop severe illnesses such as tuberculosis, meningitis, and cancers such as lymphomas and Kaposi’s sarcoma.
Transmission
HIV can be transmitted via the exchange of a variety of body fluids from infected individuals, such as blood, breast milk, semen and vaginal secretions. Individuals cannot become infected through ordinary day-to-day contact such as kissing, hugging, shaking hands, or sharing personal objects, food or water.
Risk factors
Behaviours and conditions that put individuals at greater risk of contracting HIV include:
Having unprotected anal or vaginal sex, · having another sexually transmitted infection such as syphilis, herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and bacterial vaginosis, sharing contaminated needles, syringes and other injecting equipment and drug solutions when injecting drugs.
Receiving unsafe injections, blood transfusions, medical procedures that involve unsterilised cutting or piercing, and experiencing accidental needle stick injuries, including among health workers.
Diagnosis
An HIV test reveals infection status by detecting the presence or absence of antibodies to HIV in the blood.
Antibodies are produced by an individual’s immune system to fight off foreign pathogens. Most people have a “window period”, usually 3 to 6 weeks, during which antibodies to HIV are still being produced and are not yet detectable.
Testing and counselling
HIV testing should be voluntary and the right to decline testing should be recognised.
Online Reporter