Is the end of AIDS near?
The article ‘The end of AIDS: Possibility or pipe dream? A tale of transitions’ published in the African Journal of AIDS Research strategically examines the whole epidemic.
More than 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV infection, and almost 1 out of 6 are unaware of their condition.
According to AIDS.gov, “HIV weakens your immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection. A “deficient” immune system can’t protect you.”
South Africa is the epicenter of HIV and AIDS with about 6.4 million citizens who are infected. In 1990, the World Health Organization reported only 386 cases in South Africa. Over the next 15 years, AIDS turned into an epidemic.
How can the outlook on the AIDS epidemic be improved?
Until the year 2001, HIV infection meant death to anyone infected except the wealthiest of people who could afford treatment. The development of Antiretroviral (ART) drugs now gives infected young adults a hope for a life expectancy of about 60 years.
While this was a massive breakthrough, it involved taking drugs for 30 years, providing a problem of massive cost, which posed problems for government and health providers. The high cost of the drugs may soon exceed the health budget of South Africa. New incidences of AIDs now outnumber deaths from AIDS, which increases the number of people living with AIDS.
Can the AIDS epidemic ever be controlled?
Prevention is key to reducing the rate of AIDS and to bringing a decline in HIV sufferers. Once the rate of incidences decrease, treatment can become more affordable to nations such as South Africa.
“Although significant progress has been made in combating HIV and AIDS, the end of the epidemic may still be a long way off. However, sustained efforts to expand prevention and treatment programmes, as well as health systems strengthening and innovative financing, will ensure the long-term impact of these transitions,” the author write.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Could There Be an End in Sight for AIDS?” T&F Newsroom. Taylor & Francis Newsroom, Sept. 2014. Web. 06 Oct. 2014.
2. “The End of AIDS: Possibility or Pipe Dream? A Tale of Transitions.” Taylor & Francis. African Journal of AIDS Research, 21 July 2014. Web. 06 Oct. 2014.
3. “U.S. Statistics.” AIDS.gov. AIDS.gov, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2014.
4. “What Is HIV/AIDS?” AIDS.gov. AIDS.gov, n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2014.
