The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a severe development crisis in Africa, which is the worst affected region in the world. According to statistics, more than forty one million people live with HIV/AIDS out of which 70% are from Sub-Saharan Africa. This pandemic has orphaned over 11 million children. In the year 2002, HIV/AIDS caused the death of 2.4 million people in Africa compared to the global statistic of 3.6million deaths. Without AIDs, the average life expectancy would be 62; however, it now stands at 47 years. Besides the extensive spread of the ailment, it still stands as a stigma in the African society. Social, cultural, material and behavioral factors shape the outcome of the epidemic. In addition, the core HIV/AIDS problem in Africa is too many sexual partners and unprotected sex. The governments, business sectors as well as the civil societies have a big role to play in terms of curbing and controlling the epidemic in the African nations. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is prevalent in Africa that there is need to analyze factors that contribute to its spread, the limited resources that fight the epidemic, strategies that governments use to defeat HIV and how it is a threat to U.S. interests and the U.S. response.
Definition of HIV/AIDS
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus, spread through specific body fluids. The virus attacks the immune system of the body majorly the CD4 cells, also referred to as T cells. Over time, the HIV virus attacks and destroys these cells rendering them functionless (Boutayeb, 2006). Apparently, T cells help the immune system to fight off infections. However, with the attack of this virus, the body fails to get rid of diseases and infections. Untreated HIV places the body at a high risk by minimizing the number of T cells. Similarly, if untreated, the HIV virus can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).Unfortunately, unlike other viruses, it is impossible for the human body to get rid of the HIV virus completely even with treatment. This is a lifetime virus because it has no cure.
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Good news is that HIV is controllable through the antiretroviral therapy (ART). If victims take it daily in the correct way, this medicine prolongs their lives. Besides, ART can keep HIV/AID victims healthy and minimize their chances of infecting other people. Before the ARTs came into existence in the mid 1990s, people infected with the HIV virus progressed to AIDs in few years. Conversely, Tripodi & Patel (2004) state that someone with the virus and treated before the disease has advanced further, can live as long as someone without the dangerous virus. AIDS is the severest phase of HIV because the virus badly destroys the immune system of its victims that they tend to have a recurrence of opportunistic infections. Furthermore, HIV occurs in three different stages including the acute HIV infection stage, the clinical latency stage and the AIDS stage.
Factors that Contribute to the Spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa
According to the World Health Organization, African countries have the highest number of HIV/AIDS infections. The worst hit nations include Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Ghana, Nigeria and Namibia. The prevalence of the virus decreased from 15% in the year 1990 to 8% in the year 2015 (Rodlach, 2016). However, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), these states experience more than 6million infections annually.
Promiscuity
Promiscuity is the leading cause of the spread of HIV/AIDS in African nations. Most people have more than one sexual partner who could infect them with the virus. The same partner has other sexual partners who continue with the circle of spreading the ailment. Besides, Collins, Holman, Freeman & Patel (2006) assert that prostitution is common in many places since it is one way of earning a living due to increased cases of unemployment. Young adults and married people engage in this vice, as it seems fashionable. Nonetheless, most married couples and those in relationships are practicing infidelity without considering its consequences. Surprisingly, most HIV/AIDS infections occur among married people.
Ignorance
Most people in Africa continue to engage in unprotected sex with multiple partners despite the fact that they are aware of the consequences. They continue to fuel its transmission, (Boutayeb, 2006). According to statistics, most Africans do not care about protecting themselves from the infection. It is preventable through use of the condoms but most Africans are reluctant to use them when getting intimate with their partners.
Illiteracy
Most individuals in the African nations are aware of the disease but have little knowledge regarding its aspects. The illiterate Africans are unaware of HIV/AIDS transmission methods as well as preventive measures. Therefore, they continue to participate in unsafe practices spreading the virus. Moreover, myths, beliefs and misconceptions about HIV/AIDs continue to misguide the illiterate populace.
Poverty
Most Africans live in absolute poverty and they are ready to do anything for the sake of earning a living. Some of them engage in sexual activities with people who can offer them other gifts apart from money, a high risk factor for the ailment.
Drug and Alcohol Use
Most youths in African countries abuse drugs and alcohol. According to statistics, consistent HIV infections result from sharing of needles and injectors by the young adults. Furthermore, when the young people are under the intoxication of drugs and alcohol, they are unable to make wise decisions related to sexual activities (Mondal & Shitan, 2013). People rape and take advantage of them. Besides, the addicts are resorting to careless sexual behavior as a way of alleviating pain and stress caused by the addiction. By the time they are aware of what happened to them, it too late.
HIV/AIDS Stigma
Many people in the African nations are avoiding knowing their HV status through testing because of the stigma associate with the ailment. Subsequently, most individuals who undergo HIV/AIDS tests do not reveal their status especially when they test positive. Similarly, Rodlach (2016) states that they find difficulty getting the antiretroviral drugs to use in the presence of other people. Some of the people prefer not to beware of their status, therefore continue engaging in the high risk behaviors.
Cultural Factors
Polygamy and wife inheritance are some of the cultural practices of the African nations, unaware of the dangers they pose. If one partner has the HIV/AIDS virus, it is evident that the rest suffer from the infection. Most of the partners are unfaithful, implying that they carry the virus to their marriages. Similarly, a widow could have lost the spouse through the epidemic. If somebody inherits her, then it is likely that she will spread the virus to him.
Lack of Access to Maternity Services
There is lack of maternity services especially in the rural areas in most African states. Most women bear children without the help of trained healthcare providers. Similarly, it is difficult for such mothers who are even unaware of their HIV status to comprehend what they ought to do to enhance the safety of their newborns from contracting the HIV/AIDS virus. In this case, those infected with the virus give birth to children who have already contracted the virus-increasing mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS.
Tribal Conflicts and Civil Wars
African nations have experienced civil wars and tribal conflicts for the longest time. Areas hit by these tragedies lack enough healthcare services to cater for the HIV/AIDS victims. Besides, such areas lack disease awareness programs as well as VCT services (Rodlach,2016). Most of the people affected by tribal and civil wars live in refugee camps that increase chances of transmission of the virus through various evils like prostitution and drug abuse.
Immigration and Movement of People
People from other countries introduced HIV/AIDS in Africa because of immigration. Today, there are multiple infections caused by immigrants. According to statistics, there is a high number of AIDS prevalence in urban centers because infected people spread the virus when they move to such places in search of employment and education.
African Resources to Fight the Epidemic
Most African countries have not availed adequate resources to fight the impacts of HIV/AIDS and prevent further infections. This is evident from their financial commitment to HIV/AIDS programs compared to other government activities like military expenditure. The African governments concentrate more on war, civil violence and preventive security measures compared to spending on health practices especially HIV/AIDS. For instance, Uganda spends 14 times of international donation to other matters other than on the epidemic (Bootayeb, 2006). Similarly, Zimbabwe spends 6, 782 times on the military compared to its expenditure on HIV/AIDS. It does so despite the fact that more than 1.5 million of its populace is HIV positive. This situation deteriorated when the country went to war with the Democratic Republic of Congo therefore escalating its military expenditure.
Conflicts and wars are another major source of the spread of the HUV/AIDS pandemic. This is because warring creates the upheaval of societies thus greatly escalating chances of transmission of the virus. Cases in example are the Democratic Republic 0fCongo, Eritrea, Burundi, and Sierra Leone. Most Eastern and Southern African nations that participated in the major civil war in the 1970s and 1980s now experience the most severe cases of HIV/AIDS. Collins, Holman, Freeman & Patel (2006) state that civil violence and war result to increased risky sexual behavior especially among soldiers who have multiple sexual contacts with both infected and uninfected people. They play a big role in spreading the HIV virus as some rape women and children because of the collapse of the civil society. In addition, displaced women have always become prey to sexual abuse by guerrillas and soldiers, most of whom are carriers of sexually transmitted illnesses.
Africa’s Strategy to Defeat HIV/AIDS
After a long time of battling with HIV/AIDS, Africa is slowing the rate of infections of the ailment. This follows a remarkable effort in tackling the pandemic through prevention, treatment and care. According to statics from the UNAIDS. Global AIDS Update of 2016, the rate of HIV infections had declined by 14% between the years 2010 and 2015 in Southern and Eastern Africa. In the West and Central African states, the rate of infections of this epidemic reduced by 8%. Nevertheless, most countries are embracing and encompassing prevention and treatment at community levels (Rodlach, 2016). For instance, South Africa announced that it would provide free treatment to all HIV infected people without considering the conditions of their immune system. Previously, the country only offered treatment to those with advanced infections.
African countries like Kenya, Uganda, Botswana, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia use prevention methods like voluntary medical male circumcision to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS virus. Similarly, most African states have introduced antenatal care services to minimize mother to child transmission cases of the virus (Tripodi & Patel, 2004). Most pregnant women undergo testing for the virus. Those found positive receive medicine to prevent transmission of the virus to their unborn babies. This strategy has contributed to a decrease in the infections of the HIV/AIDS virus.
Malawi provides ARVs for life to pregnant women living with HIV. The country also conducts HIV testing campaigns and links the tests to other health services. Through this strategy, the country assists in conducting HIV screening among the populace. Moreover, African nations domestically fund HIV/AIDS programmes (Mondal & Shitan, 2013). Zimbabwe has introduced the HIV/AIDS tax while Rwanda has employed HIV services into its national social insurance scheme therefore providing free treatment to the affected.
Threats to U.S. Interests and the U.S. Response
Until the late 1990s, HIV/AIDS management in Africa had little attention from the U.S. and other outside health based organizations like the National Institutes of health and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). However, the situation changed to a more holistic view with all the negativity surrounding the epidemic as documented and witnessed in the African nations.
With its increasing effects, the epidemic came to the attention of the U.S. intelligence and its security detail. This is because the diverse impact of HIV/AIDS among African nations posed a risk to the U.S. and its interests. Apparently, many people from the African nations migrated to the U.S. especially in the economic upswing of the 1990s bringing along the transmission of the HIV/AIDS virus (Collins, Holman, Freeman & Patel, 2006). Besides, the limited incidences of travel bans enabled more Americans to travel abroad, encountering HIV. Foreign immigrants and travelling citizens are bringing the disease into the U.S. Apparently; this threat of transmission of HIV/AIDS had become the largest communicable disease source, a major challenge for the U.S. interests.
Conclusion
It is possible to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in African countries. If people avoided promiscuous behaviors and became more responsible for their actions, then African states would minimize the prevalence of this deadly virus and prolong their lives. Apart from concentrating on wars and military activities, African governments can channel their efforts and resources in fighting HIV/AIDS and reducing its effects on its people. The HIV/AIDS virus destabilizes governments, societies and economies. This is because infectious ailments reduce the length and quality of life, the economic productivity of countries and people and the state capacity to cope and respond. Most scholars compare the declining health status with a decline in state ability. In this case, every member of the society has a role to play in curbing this virus.
References
Boutayeb, A. (2006). The double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases in developing countries. Transactions of the Royal society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene , 100(3), 191-199.
Collins, P. Y., Holman, A. R., Freeman, M. C., & Patel, V. (2006). What is the relevance of mental health to HIV/AIDS care and treatment programs in developing countries? A systematic review. AIDS (London, England), 20(12), 1571.
Mondal, M. N. I., & Shitan, M. (2013). Factors affecting the HIV/AIDS epidemic: an ecological analysis of global data. African health sciences , 13(2), 301-310.
Rödlach, A. (2016). Witches, Westerners, and HIV: AIDS and cultures of blame in Africa . Routledge.
Tripodi, P., & Patel, P. (2004). HIV/AIDS, peacekeeping and conflict crises in Africa. Medicine, Conflict and Survival, 20(3), 195-208.
