The Realities of HIV/AIDS

December 22, 2002

A PAPER PRESENTED BY PATRON NDUKA OZOR TO THE MEMBERS OF CONFIDENCE CLUB OF AGWA ON THE OCCASION OF THEIR END OF THE YEAR

Introduction

The Patrons, Confidence Club The President, and other executives of Confidence Club Members of our most respected Club Ladies and Gentlemen. When I received your invitation to present a paper on any topic of my choice, I did not give it a second thought on this topic, having been on HIV/AIDS, Advocacy for more than two years. More and more, we realize that HIV/AIDS threatens the security, stability, and development of the whole Region, destabilizing already fragile economy and social system, yet people do not accept the realities of this dreaded human enemy.

Day by day, the debate rages on both in our mass media and other social places. The worst of this are the Youths who are the most vulnerable to this epidemic seems not to have fathomed the dangers inherent in this disease.

WHAT IS HIV/AIDS?

According to the joint United Nation Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), HIV/AIDS is a disease to human kind, first noticed among groups of homosexual men in USA in 1981. Some others said it is a mammal disease from Chimpanzee largely found in Africa. HIV stands for: HUMAN IMMUNE DEFICIENCY VIRUS AIDS: ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME. During 2002, two hypothesis were offered. One said that the virus (HIV) wereoffered. One said that the virus (HIV) originated in a polio vaccine cultivated on Monkey’s kidneys and used in vaccination campaigns in Central Africa in the 1950’s. The other refers to thepractice used in the vaccine campaign, which allowed for mutation of the monkey virus HIV andtransmitted to many people over a short period of time. It is most likely that the debate about the origin of HIV will continue far into the next Century, but which ever way HIV IS REAL. In 1983, the first sign of a possible major epidemic were observed in a hospital in Kinshasa. Seven years later, cases of HIV/AIDS had been recorded in nearly all countries in the world, and by 1999, the epidemic parasites in more than 34 million people while more than 18.8 million people had died of AIDS.

MODE OF TRANSMISSION

There are four major source of HIV infection. Sexual transmission (heterosexual and homosexual). Transfusion of blood or blood products, or transplanted tissue or organs obtained from HIV infected people. Using skin piercing instruments or injected equipment that is contaminated with HIV.

Transmission from mother to child during pregnancy, labour or following birth through breast feeding. It is also very important to inform you of the most dangerous period of transmission of this virus. Some people who are infected with HIV do not know that they have become infected.

Infected people usually develop antibodies within (6) six weeks to three months after infection, the danger in some people is that they do not develop these antibodies, which prove negative when tested, yet they are infected. This is the period when infected people spreads the virus unknowingly. Infection with HIV produces a spectrum of diseases that progresses from a clinically latent or a symptomatic state of AIDS as late manifestation or what is called “Opportunistic Infections”. The pace of disease progression varies. In untreated patients, the time between infection with HIV and the development of AIDS ranges few months to as long as 15 years. Most adults and adolescence infected with HIV remain symptom-free for extended periods, but viral replication is active, reducing substantially the immune system. Currently, the statistics are familiar but staggering. According to UNAIDS, 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS; 28.1 million are from sub-Sahara Africa. South and South East Asia 6.1 million, Latin America 1.4 million, East Asia and Pacific 1 million, Middle East 440,000, Caribbean 420,000 while Australia and New Zealand has 15,000 HIV positive people. In Nigeria the prevalence is now alarming from 1.5% in 1999 to 5.8% in 2002. HIV is the leading cause of death in our sub-region and our cause of death in our sub-region and our superstitious belief has blinded us to the realities of this virus. Till today, there is no-known drugs for cure. Some anti-viral which are still not affordable can only reduce the viral loads and extend time of progression from HIV to AIDS.

Once one is infected, the person remains HIV positive till he/she dies. This is the reason absoluteabstinence is recommended. However, despite the devastating impact of this disease, the beacon of this disease, the beacon of hope remains, for we have seen that awareness and preventive efforts, applied with collective resolve and boldness, can reduce the spread of HIV infection.

Organizations like this, must become increasingly and zealously engaged in HIV prevention and awareness, because sustained and comprehensive actions are needed. In our town, 70% of our people are ignorant of this disease; more and more people should be involved in the campaign against HIV/AIDS. The disease has passed the risky group; it is now a general health issue.

Access to basic information and awareness which we, at the, “CENTRE FOR HIV/AIDS, STD RESEARCH” are engaged into. A large stock of information resources have been acquired for this purpose.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Avoid casual and unprotected sex. Avoid using contaminated piercing instruments. Test all blood before transfusion. Best approach is abstinence. If you must have sex with others use condom. Treat all sexually transmitted infections immediately. Tell others about the danger of HIV/AIDS.

Thank you.

Nduka Ozor
MAYF
Co-Ordinator