Global Health - HIV

Question 1

What are the causes of HIV/AIDS?

Answer 1

• Sharing a needle with an infected person
• Having unprotected sex with an infected person
• Intra-Placentally ( Baby being infected while in the womb
• Babies drinking the Breastmilk of an infected mother
• Blood transfusions can pass the infection through contaminated blood
• Lack of Education - People do not know how to use condoms or have a poor view of women

Question 2

What are the main weakening factors for a person with HIV/AIDS

Answer 2

• Drug abuse
• Poverty
• Malnutrition
• Depression
• Other infections

Question 3

What are the effects of HIV/AIDS?

Answer 3

• In 2010, 69% of people with HIV/AIDS lived in Africa
  
  • In some countries 1 in every 3 adults were infected
• The prevention,detection and treatment of AIDS is expensive
• As adults become ill, responsibility falls on older children
  to try and earn money and care for their family
  
  • As a result the next generation of African adults will be less educated, less wealthy and less healthy
• People with HIV/AIDS die younger
  
  • Less able to work as they fall ill which reduces
    production in farms, factories and offices in every
    African country, So the country is producing less wealth

Question 4

What are some methods to control HIV/AIDS?

Answer 4

INTRODUCTION OF HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
- Distribute advice on sexual health and proper use of condoms etc.
- Offer advice on access to ‘needle banks’.(Where drug users can inject using clean needles)
- Compulsory testing is set up at clinics as many do not know they have the disease
ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS
- Can be used to slow down the effects of the HIV Virus
- Slow down transmission from Mother to Baby, intra-placentally
MEDIA
- Radio and TV messages used to promote advice to those who cannot access leaflets or posters ( due to high levels of illiteracy, especially in some African Countries)

Question 5

How effective are the methods used to control HIV/AIDS in developing countries?

Answer 5

• Distribution of free condoms can be problematic as some religions ban the use of contraception
• Although drugs are available to treat AIDS, in many ELDC’s there are not enough trained staff to administer the treatments and there are many isolated areas which are difficult to reach
• Testing facilities are poor and many people avoid testing because of the stigma around the disease
• HIV education campaigns are made difficult as there is a high level of illiteracy and the variety of languages used in every country

Question 6

How effective are the methods used to control HIV/AIDS in developed countries?

Answer 6

• Cocktail of antiretroviral drugs, which was made available in the late 1990’s, keeps HIV/AIDS in the affluent world kept at bay
• HIV/AIDS is no longer seen as a death sentence and can easily be managed and controlled through the use of ARV.

Question 7

Why is there a greater number of cases of AIDS in Africa/ELDC’s?

Answer 7

• Due to the number of people living in poverty and suffering from malnutrition and other infections
• There is less health education so many people are unaware of the causes of AIDS and how the risk of infection can be reduced
• War and the breakdown of Law accelerate the spread of AIDS because of the poverty and malnutrition which follows
• Higher incidence of rape after War/ breakdown of law