Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus which destroys the body's immune system. It is the main cause of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), disease that is threatening the world today. By January 2008 the world's AIDS cases were estimated to have reached 25 million, of those 2.5 were in Africa. Being the leading cause of death in Africa, AIDS causes twice as many deaths as malaria. According to UNAIDS statistics, about thirteen million children suffer orphanage due to AIDS. The spread of AIDS in Africa will be examined by the transmission and symptoms of HIV and AIDS, and their social and economic impact on Africa.
HIV, transmitted by various ways, has no symptoms in its first stage. The symptoms begin at the advanced stage, which is called AIDS. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). defines AIDS as : all HIV infected people who have fewer than 200 CD4 positive T-cell counts per cubic millimeter of blood. (CD4 positive T-cell count of 1000 or more for healthy persons) The definition also includes 26 clinical conditions that affect HIV infected individual. HIV can be transmitted by unprotected sex, infected blood transfusion, and needle sharing. The virus is also transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy or child nursing. Although the first stage of HIV infection is asymptomatic some patients may have lymph node enlargement or flu-like symptoms such as fever and headache. However, after few years, i.e. two years in children and ten years in adults, when the infection reaches its advanced stage, more severe symptoms such as herpes infection, mouth ad anal sores and shingles start to appear. Due to the virus destroying the immune system the body becomes unable to fight bacteria, parasites, fungi, virus and other microbes. The 26 clinical infections accompanying AIDS become more severe and sometimes even fatal.
AIDS impacts not only the individual's health, but also society and its economy. There are mny factors which contribute to the spread of HIV. In Africa, the main contributing factor for the spread of the disease is poverty. Lack of income leads to poor education, which leads society to have less information about HIV, the ways of its transmission and its dangers.
For more information about AIDS in Africa see Part Two in this series about HIV and AIDS in Africa and :
- www.AIDSinAfrica
-http://www.avert.org/aafrica.htm
References
-HIV/AIDS Symptoms & Complications http://www.drugs.com/aids-symptoms.html
-www.AIDSinAfrica.net