HIV-AIDS: How can we prevent its increase? Hey everyone, we are Sarah Duff and Eilidh Farquhar and we will be chairing the Health Committees for the fast-approaching conference in March! We've both been delegates at the conference before and enjoyed ourselves so much that here we are again, ready for some more first-class debate and a really good time. We know that for a large number of you this will be your first ever conference, but honestly don't worry; although the whole conference may seem overwhelming, we can both vouch that it is certainly not as scary as it may all seem to you now and what you'll get out of it is definitely worth all the work that you put in. The conference is always really good fun. You'll meet loads of new people and there is lots of information available on the website if you need it, and you should feel free to email either of us if you need some advice. On that note you will all have to have your position papers (about 50 words outlining your country's view on this topic) in to both of us by 18 February at the very latest; this is essential if you're aiming for an award and if you fail to hand them in by then, you may be forced to do a forfeit during lobbying! We hope you really enjoy your time in the Health Committee and we look forward to seeing you all in March! HIV and AIDS AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is the most progressive stage of HIV infection (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). HIV is a retrovirus which infects cells in the human immune system, destroying or preventing their function, so that the body becomes incapable of fighting off even the most basic infections such as the common cold. HIV is transmitted through bodily fluid usually by having unprotected sex, through blood to blood contact (most commonly amongst injecting drug users or due to bad hygiene in hospitals) or by vertical transmission from mother to baby. When a person has developed a number of health problems due to a lack of resistance, this is referred to as AIDS. The HIV virus normally takes between 8-10 years to destroy the immune system. AIDS continues to spread rapidly across the globe and is one of the largest threats to World Health. In this Briefing Paper we are going to outline the main issues which AIDS causes in countries around the words, the key prevention methods which are being introduced and finally looking at the issues which these methods have caused in specific countries. The Main Problems caused by HIV and AIDS 1. The Cycle of AIDS There was a 10.6% increase in the prevalence of AIDS globally between 2001 and 2007; in children between the ages of 0-14 the number affected was 20% higher than in 2001. By the end of 2008 an estimated 33.4 million people worldwide were living with HIV. That same year some 2 million people died of AIDS- related illnesses. Globally, less than one person in five at risk of HIV has access to basic HIV prevention services. There was an estimated 15 million more orphans between the age of 0-17 living in 2007, and this number continues to grow. The issue of HIV is clearly not one which will disappear anytime soon, and it seems as if it's worsening every day, affecting not only adults but children too, as well as leaving a huge number of children, without parents, behind. The healthcare available in the countries which are worse affected is simply not developed or well funded enough and as a result a huge number of people die from the disease each year. However this is just an outline of the issue which is being tackled; there are a huge number of problems which AIDS causes worldwide. More orphans, means more children will have to leave school at a young age to get
jobs and to make a living to feed not only them but often younger family members as well, sacrificing both their education and quality of life in order to survive. This in turn means that they will not be as knowledgeable on the subject of AIDS and the importance of safe sex; therefore they in turn are more likely to contract the disease and pass it onto their children. Infection with HIV means that they are more likely to suffer from diseases which their immune system could, at one time, tackle, meaning that they will be too unwell to work, and so they will not have enough money to send their children to school, or to feed the family. This will lead to a new generation of children, who are not educated about AIDS, and malnutrition will leave the children weaker and thus they will be less likely to be able to fight the disease. Due to poverty, some people will turn to prostitution to earn a living, or will turn to using drugs to try and escape their current situation, thus further increasing the spread of the disease. High numbers of people living with HIV and AIDS means that there is a reduction in the working population of a country, having a negative impact on the country's GNP. As parents are infected, they are too ill to work, they in turn are forced to take children out of school. Therefore these children will not be well educated on AIDS meaning that they are more likely to catch the disease. This is the cycle of AIDS and it can be extremely hard to break this cycle, especially as the majority of AIDS drugs are too expensive for families who are already struggling to make ends meet. 2. Access to Medication, Prevention and Care The treatment of HIV requires long term care and support. In developed countries, patients are able to receive adequate care and most people are wealthy enough to afford to pay for potentially life-saving medication or treatments when they are necessary. However the majority of patients suffering from AIDS come from developing countries (70% of global cases occur in Africa alone) and patients here are less fortunate and often struggle even to obtain basic health care. The spread of HIV increases the strain which is placed on already under-funded health services. The increased need for healthcare has caused many countries to rely heavily on the aid which is provided by Western charities and many religious groups. 3. Culture, Environment, Human Rights and Behaviour People who are suffering from HIV and AIDS are forced to deal with cultural discrimination, and they are often treated with disgrace, shame and are regarded as socially unacceptable. This in turn can lead to a great number of problems which range from domestic and sexual abuse. It lowers the self-esteem of the sufferer making them feel like they feel that they are worthless and that they deserve to be treated this way. As AIDS is a taboo subject, many people feel ashamed and so will not reveal that they are HIV positive to new partners, which in turn only spreads the disease further. Some religious groups feel that AIDS is a punishment from God for immoral behaviour; therefore many HIV victims are less likely to seek help. 4. Lack of Knowledge and Misconceptions There are a huge number of people who are infected who are unaware of their condition, which means that the disease is easily passed on to other people as no precautions are taken to prevent the spread. Many countries have limited facilities for diagnosis and screen testing.
Many incorrect assumptions can be made such as it is believed by many that circumcision gives total protection against HIV infection when in reality it only slightly reduces the risk. Another common misconception is that sleeping with a young virgin child may cure a victim, which has contributed to the spread of AIDS. What are the key prevention methods? 1. Enhancing knowledge, information Information alone is not enough to change behaviour; however enhancing knowledge on the topic is a key way to tackle the problem of HIV/AIDS. Information resources for education could be targeted toward critical groups such as young people, who can be targeted not only at school but also more widely such as in sports and social clubs. The media can also have a powerful impact and should perhaps be used more effectively. 2. Changing social attitudes Women need to develop greater self esteem and knowledge in order to take more responsibility for their sexual health, free from discrimination and violence, whilst men need to take greater responsibility for their own conduct and recognise the importance of women's health needs. Open discussion and support for infected and affected people and raising awareness of the disease can help change attitudes and reduce discrimination towards them, so more people will come forward for testing without fear. 3. Access to health care services Developing countries clearly need enhanced health care services. There is progress to be made and perhaps a global approach in political and funding commitments needs to be taken to achieve universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care. Perhaps as WHO suggests bold measures also need to be taken to address legal barriers that increase HIV vulnerability, particularly for the most at risk populations. 4. Resources and distribution Improved access, capacity and cost effectiveness and quality of program requires considerable investment. However, funds are expected to come from domestic sources and developing countries cannot meet the costs alone; it is unrealistic to think this. Should there be a global effort to tackle the HIV/AIDS epidemic? An example of where improvements need to be made: According to WHO (World Health Organisation) results from population surveys in ten countries showed more than 60% of HIV positive people were unaware of their condition. As a result, many patients started treatment too late. Around 18% of patients initiating treatment were lost to follow up during the first year, a large proportion of them dying due to late initiation of treatment.
An example of success in prevention: From recent reports by WHO countries in all parts of the world are demonstrating that universal health care is within reach. In 2009, 5.25 million people had access to HIV treatment in low and middle-income countries, accounting for 36% of those in need. This represents an increase of over 1.2 million people from December 2008, the largest increase in any single year. What problems to some countries have with prevention methods? Many extremely Catholic countries such as Uganda are told by their religion that they should not use condoms or any artificial form of birth control and have stuck steadfastly in their opposition to these prevention methods despite the HIV/AIDS crisis. The Catholic Church's opposition to condom use is often cited as the reason for the spread of HIV/AIDS; however it has to be thought through if Catholics occupy countries where HIV is a prominent concern? Countries are also concerned by education of children in the matter of sex. Some feel that children are too young to be exposed to the aspect of sex in health education as they are the more vulnerable members of society and need to be protected. On the other hand, there was an estimated 2 million people living with HIV under the age of 15 in 2007, so surely there is a need for younger generation to be protected through education. Developing countries are faced with low standards of living, underdevelopment, high poverty levels, low capital levels and low GDP. All of the above problems are results of the debts which not only affect those who acquire them but generations to follow. HIV/AIDS is not only most prevalent in these countries but they are also the least well equipped to deal with the increasing crisis and cannot afford to tackle it whilst burdened by the day to day struggle of poverty. So what do we want you to think about? What are the continuing problems causing the increase of HIV that need to be dealt with? What are the best prevention methods? What can be done to further success of prevention methods? Should the media be playing a more key role? Should children be educated about sex as a prevention method to HIV/AIDS? What do developing countries need to prioritise? Should developing countries be helped and what is to be done? Useful Links Specific to HIV/AIDS http://www.unaids.org/en/policies/hiv_prevention/ http://www.globalissues.org/article/219/aids-around-the-world http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/catholic_church_aids_africa.html http://www.avert.org/aids-impact-africa.htm http://www.who.int/en/ http://www.healthofnations.com/countries/map/outcomes/phiv?gclid=cjm00tks66qcfyfh4wodl H4M0w http://www.parliament.uk/documents/post/postpn210.pdf For Country Profiles and lots of other useful information:
http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/country_profiles/default.stm For issues of current international debate: http://www.newint.org/ http://www.idebate.org/ http://www.amnesty.org/ Also, there is the issue of education in poorer countries, not many citizens being able to read, therefore perhaps causing problems with regard to them being able to make use of information given to them.