The epidemic of AIDS and South Africa’s fight against it

It may be unbelievable but the South Africans are emerging victorious in their fight with AIDS epidemic and they have shown their mettle in the process, spanning over more than 17 years. South Africa has been plagued by this killer disease for a very long time and lots of families have got ruined, children orphaned and people have died because of AIDS. According to a recent study the death rate, caused by AIDS, has gone down by 32% in the last 7 years. Things have changed in the past few years and now there are quite a lot of people who are living AIDS free lives. The affected or rather infected children and adults are getting medicines regularly which are prolonging their survival.

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In 2007, there were more than 22.5 million people who had AIDS. The numbers are decreasing fast, giving rise to hope of survival. It was estimated that if people kept on getting afflicted in the same rate then soon there would be no adults left for taking care of the little orphans. The former South African president, Thabo Mbeki, had denied having such a huge health and social problem for a long time. Living in denial had made the situation more severe. Children were the innocent victims who received the disease from their parents and when orphaned most of them would have to live in acute poverty and face sexual and other sorts of abuse.

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According to data revealed by the UNAIDS, the spread of HIV infection in South African countries has decreased by more than 50% compared to other Sub Saharan Countries. The main reason behind such drastic change is probably the goodwill invested in spreading ARVs among the affected people and pregnant mothers. ARVs have lowered the chances of death of people who have AIDS and at the same time it has curbed the number of newborns who have this infection. Due to the high number of death among the adults Cotlands child care facility started helping the orphans. It had become a custom in this child care facility that one child at least will die every week. From 2008, however, children stopped dying and now the child care facility has been closed because no child died in the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. WHO has decided to advice that the South African women are given ARVs for a life time as taking care of the mothers will go a long way in saving the children.

 

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