Currently 33.4 million people are living with AIDS world wide right now and an estimated 2.7 million will become infected in the coming year. AIDS has reached epidemic proportions and continues to infect people all over the world. The World Health Organization notes that so many of these people do not have access to HIV treatment and contract AIDS because of it. Recently though, positive steps have been taken to help stop the spread of AIDS, and the United Nations reports that the AIDS epidemic is in decline. The 2.7 million people infected each year is 20% lower than when the AIDS epidemic peaked all the way back in 1999. Even the area where AIDS is most prevalent, the sub-Saharan region of Africa, is reporting a decline in the number of infections. Because of organizations dedicated to sending AIDs relief to poorer countries, like Keep a Child Alive, the number of infections is on the decline. Read the story here: http://www.thecowl.com/world/improvements-in-aids-prevention-1.181643.
It seems to be because of generous people lending assistance in regions like India and South Africa AIDs has been on the decline. Like the smallpox epidemic in the same region, volunteers offered their time to help combat this horrid epidemic. Unlike smallpox the battle is a much more difficult one since HIV carriers can only be identified with tests. Smallpox cases could easily be spotted because of the sores. Also while there is no cure for AIDs at the time perhaps something just as valuable such as educating the denizens of India and Africa. The fact that a dangerous epidemic is on the down fall is very good news. While this is just a stepping stone for when AIDs will no longer be an epidemic it is good news to hear it is on the decline, especially following World AIDs day. It is good to know that the effort of volunteers is paying off.
-Joel S.
It's great news to hear that the AIDS epidemic is on the decline. What you describe here about the difference between Smallpox and AIDS is such a good point; the progress that volunteers and infected countries have made with slowing down the epidemic is truly remarkable because the only way to detect the disease is through testing. Because of this, I agree that it would be beneficial and helpful to educate the people in these infected countries, to speed up this decline and get rid of this disease. It would be impossible for doctors to test every person in the infected regions, so public education about prevention will definitely (and has definitely) helped slow down the epidemic.
ReplyDeleteI like the point you make about educating people about AIDs. That certainly could make an impact on the spread, if people knew more about it and how it was spread. I also like the connection you make to smallpox and how it was much easier to identify people who had smallpox than people with AIDs. AIDs being on the decline is indeed such great news, especially, as you said on World AIDs Day. The more people know about AIDs the more chance there is of getting rid of the disease, or at least, slowing, if not, stopping the spread of it.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how you connected smallpox to AIDS. I also liked how you talked about how smallpox was eradicated and how we could use this information to reduce the amount of people being infected with AIDS. I definately agree that public education is a major factor in fighting the epidemic and I like how you compared the different kinds of public awareness and public education for each epidemic and how we could use our experience and knowledge that we gained from smallpox to help fight AIDS.
ReplyDeleteThats great news to hear that the number of people being infected with AIDS each year is declining. I agree that it is unfortunate that there are no visible symptoms that come along with AIDS because it would be much easier to diagnose and treat someone without a lot of testing. I also think that if the organizations that are mentioned above stay interested and keep helping then we can move closer and closer to eradicating AIDS.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ariana that it is unfortunate and scary that there are no visible symptoms to AIDS. That definitely makes the disease so much easier to spread rapidly, which is what it was doing. I am thankful that people are so generous and willing to advance the treatment of AIDS. It's great to see numbers decline of those infected by the disease. If the organizations that are working now to help treat and get rid of AIDS continue their research and efforts, the disease will hopefully one day be completely wiped out.
ReplyDeleteI like how you compared smallpox to AIDS. More specifically, how you commented on how smallpox is easy to pick out in a croud, because of symptoms such as the pustules, but AIDS is not. You can never tell if someone is an AIDS victim or not by looking at them. It's also good to hear that AIDS is on the decline. Good work.
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