Introduction
As one of the most pernicious epidemics witnessed by humankind since the last century, HIV AIDS emerged in the 1980s and has taken away the lives of millions and even caused the transformation of public health policies, social systems, as well as medical inventions. More than 39 million people still carry the HIV virus, and by 2023, the figure of deaths due to AIDS stands at over 40 million. In addition, despite impressive strides made in treatment and prevention, HIVAIDS remains a public health threat that is implacable, more so to at risk groups, as healthcare remains elusive.
This article shares the most important important dates, facts, organisms, and ramifications regarding HIV/AIDS, and informs what is being done today about the problem of the disease and its social aspect in the 21st century.
History and Phylogeny of HIV
HIV — Human Immunodeficiency Virus — is believed to have been caused by the acquisition of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) through contact with infected monkeys. This HIV SIV cross-over likely happened at the start of the 20th century in east/central Africa. However, it was not until the early 1980s that the disease came to the attention of the health professionals.
In 1981, the first Riot against Homosexual/AIDS was mobilized due to unusual signs such as the Kaposi’s sarcoma and Pneumocystis Pneumonia which appeared among men in the U.S, more so among the gay community. However, by the year 1983 HIV was isolated by scientists at Pasteur Institute in France as the agent that causes what is known today as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). After that HIV/AIDS spread quickly, and by the mid-1980s, it became a pandemic.
Understanding HIV, Its Nature, And What It Can Do Best
HIV is not an ordinary virus; it is a retrovirus that systematically destroys the immune system and HIV’s main target is the CD4 T cells which are crucial to the immune defense. With the reproduction of the virus, these cells are reduced in number and eventually over the years the immunity becomes depleted in the body making it prone to opportunistic diseases and tumors. The disease will be moving through three characteristic stages in the absence of therapy starting from acute to AIDS.
Acute HIV Infection (2-4 weeks after infection):
Symptoms are as follows: Fever, rash, sore throat, and fatigue.
At this stage the viral replication is at the highest, and the virus is disseminated in the body.
Chronic HIV Infection (Asymptomatic Phase):
This stage can be several years without any complaint but the virus still damages the immune system.
That is the state of health of the patients but they have HIV (untreated).
AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome):
According to the WHO’s definition of ””clinical AIDS” when the CD4+ cell levels reach less than 200 cells/mm³ or some opportunistic infections emerge, this condition is classed as AIDS.
HIV also makes its victims susceptible to other infections such as TB, pneumonia, and certain malignancies like Kaposi’s sarcoma.
In the absence of antiretroviral medication (ART), AIDS patients face death within a few years when opportunistic diseases attack.
Acts of HIV infection
HIV can be spread through various body fluids of an infected individual, such as blood, semen, vaginal or rectal secretions and breast milk and fluids. It is commonly spread in the following ways;
Sex Intercourse without barrier methods (vaginal penetrative, anal, and oral).
Injecting drug use that involves sharing of needles or syringes.
During birth or feeding.
Receiving a blood or organ transfer. While this has been an effective method of transferring HIV, such instances have reduced with better screening of donors.
HIV would not spread for instance by hugging or shaking hands with infected individuals, eating food or drinks used by an HIV infected person, kissing, saliva, sweat, or tears.
HIV AIDS worldwide distribution
Although treatments have been established and people diagnosed with HIV are under treatment, the number of people affected by HIV/AIDS keeps on increasing in various parts of the world and especially in these areas:
Sub-Saharan Africa:
With 70% of cases recorded here, the region is still the epicenter of the epidemic, with the most number of individuals diagnosed with HIV. The burden is mostly on countries such as South Africa , Nigeria and Kenya.
Heterosexual relationship remains the most common means of contraction and the risk is most with women and children.
Asia and the Pacific:
This region accounts for approximately 6 million people with HIV. Most often alternation of stigmatized behavior includes transmission variation through injectable drugs or sex and lack of health care facilities.
Eastern Europe and Central Asia:
In this region, the problem is related to the use of injecting drugs and the lack of available treatment. And it continues making more people infected with the virus.
North America and Western Europe:
For the most part, news infections are found in men who have sex with men individuals. New horizons in the prevention field, like preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have helped to control the number of new cases.
The Social and Economic Impact of HIV/AIDS
Besides health, HIV/AIDS has social, economic, and political effects which are catastrophic.
Stigma and Discrimination:
From the earliest days of the epidemic, asymmetric treatment of some groups like gay men, sex workers, drug users, and other marginalized populations, fueled stigma’ around HIV (Brouard, 2010).
It is less likely for people to seek tests and for HIV positive individuals to seek appropriate treatment due to stigma, which enhances infection.
Economic Impact:
HIV, and especially AIDS, represents a major cost to the individual, family, and healthcare systems, worse so in the developing parts of the world.
Loss of productivity resulting from illness and caregiving affects household income levels and levels of income generation within the country.
Impact on Children and Families:
Derived from HIV/AIDS, the number of orphans grieved by millions stands particularly high in sub-Saharan Africa.
They usually experience deprivation of basic needs, limited access to schooling and poor exploitation.
Treatment: Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)
The introduction of ART in the mid-1990s was a game changer in the battle against HIV and AIDS. This method comprises of multiple drugs, that are strategically used to inhibit the replication of the viral load in the patient’s system.
Goals of ART:
Suppress HIV viral load to undetectable levels and reduce the transmission risk.
Rebuild the damaged immune system by increasing the CD4+ T-cell counts.
Increase life span and enhance one’s quality of life.
ART has to be taken on every day of one’s life. Adherence to ART can turn HIV from a death sentence to a chronic manageable disease. However, problems such as drug resistance, side effects, pill burden are still the obstacles to the optimum therapeutic outcome.
HIV AIDS Prevention Strategies.
Treatment is available, but still, prevention remains the most effective weapon in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Many effective methods have been developed over time:
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP):
It is the daily use of antiviral medicines for individuals at high risk of getting infected.
Available studies suggest that when used correctly, PrEP can prevent more than 90% of sexual transmission.
Condom Use and Safe Sex Practices:
The use of condoms is and aswie okazal is stays one of the most reliable mechanisms to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Needle Exchange Programs:
Distribution of sterile syringes to injecting drug users helps to decrease the numbers of HIV infection among drug users.
Mother to Child Prevention: HIV AIDS
The use of ART in expectant mothers or to their infants greatly lessens the rate of HIV from mother to child transmission during delivery or lactation.
Education and Awareness Campaigns: HIV AIDS
Effective healthcare campaigns decrease the incidence of stigma, increase the uptake of testing and the practice of safe practices.
HIV-AIDS And Human Rights
The aspect of HIV/AIDS is not only the medical bearing but human rights in itself. Even if there is a potential for treatment, care and prevention of the disease, poverty, discrimination, gender and other such factors come in as a huge barrier. There are some specific issues like:
Criminalization Of Same Sex Relationships And Sex Work:
In many states of the world, legislation against homosexuality and prostitution hinders the efforts to avoid HIV through repression habitats.
Gender Inequality:
Most women and girls from some areas of the world encounter cleavages to retrieving inexpensive healthcare thus increasing their chances of getting HIV infection.
Access To Health Care:
ART is thence administered to all in the high income earning countries but patients in the low income regions continue to die ‘unnecessarily’ since they cannot access the live bus of treatment.
HIV AIDS The Future: Towards An HIV-Free Generation?
Hitherto, none of the successes in research and health care guarantees that mankind would no longer be plagued with HIV.
Cure Research:
Although a complete cure has not been reached yet, there are some more combination approaches being researched including oc/ONk Gene editing CRISPR approaches and for therapeutic vaccine development.
Long-Acting Injectable ART:
Other innovative management, such as injections given monthly or bi-monthly may let patients eliminate the burden of regular pills daily compliance to food.
Global Initiatives:
HIV AIDS The UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets guarantee that by the year 2030, 95 per cent of the population living with HIV will know their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed with HIV will be enrolled on treatment and 95 per cent of these will have viral suppression.
Conclusion
The HIV AIDS pandemic continues to be a global public health concern. Yet this is a tale of achievements too. Thanks to scientific advances and public health measures, an epidemic, once a fatal illness is now a chronic condition. However, this battle is not over, not by a long shot. Reaching all those in need of treatment without barriers, working against stigma, and pushing for research for a cure will also be prerequisite to combating HIV lead to an HIV free generation. It is a call to action and burning of messages of all health stakeholders to strengthen measures of prevention, treatment and care as well as restate the globe’s attention on HIV AIDS.
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