GETTING to Zero’ is the theme for this year’s World AIDS Day. The theme is further broken down to: Zero new HIV infections; Zero discrimination; Zero AIDS- related deaths.
The first world AIDS day was held about 27 years ago ( 1988) after health ministers from around the world met in London and agreed to such a day as a way of highlighting the enormity of the AIDS pandemic and nation’s responsibility to ensure universal treatment, care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS. The idea was conceived in 1987 by two public information officers, James Bunn and Thomas Netter, who were workers of the WHO’s global programme on AIDS but the final approval was given by Dr Jonathan Mann ,former head of the Global programme on AIDS but now known as UNAIDS. It is observed annually on the first day of December. It is recognized by UNO and all her affiliate international organisations and member countries.
In 198, medical practitioners in USA discovered a strange illness among a small number of men. The illness was given several names until it was finally called HIV AIDS. It is one of the leading causes of death globally. HIV progressively infects cells of the immune system (especially CD4 cells of the white blood cells), breaking down the body’s ability to fend off some infections and other diseases. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection, defined by the occurrence of any of the more than 20 opportunistic infections or related cancers.
HIV can be transmitted through: transfusion of contaminated blood and blood products; unprotected vaginal or anal sexual intercourse; oral sex with an infected person; transmission between an infected mother and her baby during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding; sharing of contaminated sharp instruments and the use of contaminated and unsterilized hospital equipment such as needles and syringes. According to WHO, HIV remains a major global public health issue having claimed more than 34 mil- lion lives so far. At the end of 2014, about 37 (34.3-41.4) million people were living with the virus with 2.0 (1.9- 2.2) million people becoming newly infected with HIV. Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region, with25.8 (24.0-28.7) million people living with HIV in 2014, accounting for about 70% of the global total number of new HIV infections. About 51% of people with HIV know their status. In 2014 alone, about 150 million children and adults in 129 low and middle income countries received HIV testing services. Also in 2014, 14.9 million, about 40%, of people living with HIV were receiving ART (Anti-retroviral Therapy) of which 13.5 million were receiving ART in low and middle income countries. About 1.2(1.0-1.5) million people died from HIV related causes globally.
The symptoms vary according to the stage of the dis-ease. About 49 % of the people living with the virus are unaware. This is worsened by the fact that the disease may be symptomless for a period of time or may present with influenza-like illness such as fever ,headache ,rash or sore-throat. However, as the infection progresses, it will affect the immune system adversely hence the person can show features such as swollen lymph nodes, diarrhoea and cough lasting for more than a month, unaccounted weight loss etc. When treatment is not started and the infection is allowed to progressed uncontrolled, the patient may develop opportunistic infections and other AIDS-related diseases such as Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Cancers such as Lymphomas, Kaposi’s sarcoma etc.
The first requirement is for everybody to go for Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) in order to ascertainone’s HIV status. When positive, the individual should live positively and if negative, the individual should avoid being infected. For us to maintain an HIV free generation, the following must be considered and properly implemented:
I have witnessed, in the course of my medical practice, many lives that were lost due to the activities of these religious leaders. Some of them claim to have cure for HIV all other diseases hence anybody that is newly diagnosed with HIV will prefer wasting his/her time with these religious leaders only to come back to the hospital when the disease has reached an advanced stage,when the opportunistic infections and HIV-related cancers must have been established. At that stage, medical science may have little or nothing to offer to these individuals.
This serodiscordant couple occurs when one partner tested positive to the virus while the other partner remains negative. The partner that is positive must be placed on ART no matter the CD 4 count in order to protect the other partner that is negative from being infected. They should also use barrier method of contraception according to WHO standard unless when they are ready for conception. When a particular group wants to embark on any strike, the group must ensure that an alternative arrangement is made so that these HIV patients can get their drugs as at when due.
Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) should make it compulsory for each vehicle to have a packet of medical hand gloves. This is because many Nigerians are getting enlightened that one can get infected through contaminated blood hence at times when a road accident occurred, victims that would have been saved had they been rushed to the nearest hospital, normally lost their lives because people would wait for FRSC officials to arrive with safety hand gloves. More unfortunate is the fact that it may take some time for the FRSC officials to arrive at the venue. I will certainly not blame those who refuse to help the accident victims without medical hand gloves.
Also, I think the National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA) should map out strategies to go to our rural settings to enlighten the masses because many people in those settings are still naive of this deadly virus. NACA can as well go to secondary schools in order to enlighten the fledgling students there and Sex education can also be included in our academic curricula.
People should be enlightened on the ways of transmission of the virus and how to avoid them through safe sexual and good hospital practices, safe antenatal and postnatal care, proper use of uncontaminated sharp objects/instruments and safe disposal of contaminated objects etc. The Government, at the federal, state and local government levels, needs to do more in ensuring that not only the ART drugs but also other tests and services should be rendered free to the HIV patients. In some settings, some of them are mandated to pay for laboratory services hence those that don’t have the money for the tests may not be able access full medical treatment. If Nigeria is truly the Africa’s largest economy, I think we don’t need to overemphasize the need for all services and treatments to be rendered free to the victims of HIV infections.
A legislation can also be enacted to ensure that each of these multinational companies contributes a particular percentage ( even if it is 1%) of their income to the HIV campaign. All forms of discrimination against people living with the virus must be stopped.
By: Paul John
Sun News
ABUJA: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
PORTHARCOURT: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
LAGOS: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
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