HIV - No longer a death sentence
by Pramod de Silva
On December 1, the world marked
International AIDS Day. It has become an important date in the calendar
for the worldwide community of AIDS/HIV patients, caregivers, doctors
and the pharmaceutical industry. Technological advances are making it
easier for HIV patients to lead fuller, more productive lives without
thinking of it as a 'death sentence'.
There are a lot of misconceptions among youth on HIV/AIDS, even
though it has been around for three decades. Sex education is one of the
best courses of action that could prevent the spread of HIV, a global
pandemic, among the youth population. The importance of practising safe
sex should be stressed.
There is both good and bad news on the HIV front. The good news is
that the estimated number of new HIV infections worldwide each year has
declined about 17% since 2001. The bad news is that for every five
people infected; only two begin treatment especially in the poorer
nations.
About 2.7 million people were newly infected with the virus that
causes AIDS last year, compared with about 3.3 million in 2001. The
biggest gains were in sub-Saharan Africa, where there were 400,000 fewer
infections, even though the region still accounts for 67 percent of all
new infections. Asia is also becoming a centre for HIV expansion.
About 430,000 children were born with HIV in 2008, bringing the
number of children under the age of 15 living with the virus to 2.1
million. An estimated 33.4 million people were HIV-positive worldwide in
2008, a slight increase from 33 million in 2007. Another positive trend
is that more people are living longer after infection because of the
increased availability of antiretroviral drugs that keep the virus at
bay. Better drugs are also available for complications arising out of
the HIV patients’ lack of immunity to diseases.
About four million people were receiving AIDS drugs at the end of
2008, but an additional five million people need treatment and are not
receiving it, according to the World Health Organisation. This is an
alarming trend. These are lives that can be saved with early detection
and medical attention.
One of the biggest problems facing HIV/AIDS patients is the stigma
attached to the condition. Most people would not even want to go near a
HIV patient as they do not know that casual contact does not transmit
HIV.
These patients can lead near-normal lives if given adequate drugs.
They deserve our care, love and understanding. In fact, this echoes the
theme of this year’s World AIDS Day – Universal Access and Human Rights.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on “all countries to live up
to their commitments to enact or enforce legislation outlawing
discrimination against people living with HIV and members of vulnerable
groups”. On this World AIDS Day, we have to work to remove punitive laws
and practices and put an end to discrimination against and
criminalization of people affected by HIV to make the world a better
place for them. |
