Running head: AIDS 1

AIDS in Africa
Kelly E. Burg
Wayne State University

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Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa is known as having one of the most populated areas that is infected with
AIDS. AIDS is known as causing severe damage to the immune system of a person. It is caused
by a retrovirus and transmitted to the body. It can be transmitted through blood or blood products
that enter ones body. One of the most common ways that AIDS is transmitted can be through
sexual activity. AIDS has caused many deaths all over the world and still remains as one of the
worlds leading causes of death especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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AIDS in Africa
There are forty-nine countries that make up Sub-Saharan Africa. These countries lie south
of the Sahara Desert. The population keeps growing which is making it hard for cases of HIV/
AIDS to die down. Africa was one of the places globally that was hit the hardest with HIV AIDS.
According to Egger (2009), Out of the estimated 33.3 million people with HIV at the end of
2009, 22.5 million were in Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of those are women. Although
there are programs such as the AIDS relief plan and Global Funds, Sub-Saharan Africa still has
limited resources. The Joint United Nations Program Global Fact Sheet states that, Seventy
percent of all people dealing with HIV and seventy percent of all deaths have occurred in SubSaharan Africa.
The terms HIV and AIDS can get somewhat confusing. HIV stands for Human
Immunodeficiency Virus. AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. According to
the Health and Human Services (2014), Aids is the final stage of the HIV infection, not
everyone who has HIV advances to this stage. This usually occurs when the body of the person
infected with HIV cant handle fighting off disease because the immune system is depleted to the
point of not functioning.
HIV can be transmitted in a multiple of ways. It is transmitted through bodily fluids such
as blood, semen, pre-cum, vaginal fluids, breast milk, pregnancy, and blood transfusions. HIV
can be spread by sharing needles, having sex with multiple partners, anal sex, and coming in
contact with a persons bodily fluids. If the body then cant fight off the diseases it later develops
into full blown AIDS.

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As the years go on, there are more resources that are helping with AIDS, but not within
Sub-Saharan Africa. Since the country is in poverty there is no funding to help with the
management or cure of AIDS.
History
AIDS is one of the leading causes for death around the world. According to Nolen
(2012), AIDS has now been reported in every country in the world, and it is present in epidemic
levels in many. Sub-Saharan Africa depends on the resources of other countries to help fight this
disease. It is an ongoing global issue that the people in Sub-Saharan face on a daily basis. AIDS
is both a social and political problem. This is both a social and political problem because it seems
to affect certain groups of people such as ones that live in poverty, gay men, prisoners, and drug
users and specifically women. In Sub-Saharan Africa the World Health Organization (2008)
reports, In Sub-Saharan Africa, women constitute 60% of people living with HIV. The
proportion of women living with HIV has been increasing in the last 10 years.
In the United States HIV/AIDS was first discovered among gay men. Whiteside (2010),
In the early 1980s when previously healthy, mostly homosexual young men began dying, the
unknown cause and rising numbers of death combined with homophobia to generate a response
of blame and fear. When AIDS was first seen, the gay community were the ones only to blame,
which isnt the case. It was first identified as a problem in the United States in the year 1983.
However, the origin of AIDS begins in Africa. Stolley (2009), They believe it likely
developed from a simian virus that infected chimpanzees and somehow managed to cross over
into humans, mutating into HIV perhaps in the 1930s. As time went on, researchers began to see
many different illnesses in people. Those people who contracted the virus had their immune
systems destroyed, leaving them helpless to fight other diseases.

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The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Fact Sheet (2002), states that
the most common diseases associated with AIDS are as follow,
-Kaposis Sarcoma, a rare form of skin cancer
- Recurrent Bacterial Pneumonia
-Tuberculosis
-Meningitis
-Cervical Cancer
-Herpes
-Simplex Infections
-Lymphoma, cancer of the lymph nodes
In the year 1981, in LA there were five men that were diagnosed with PCP which is a
form of pneumonia. Often PCP is looked at as the start of AIDS, because PCP can affect the
immune system. In the year 1982 the researchers found out that AIDS was linked to HIV which
is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV has now become more common and there are now
several different strains of HIV. By the year 1983 gay men, drug users, and people that had
anything to do with blood transfusions or sharing of needles were looked to be the ones whom
were responsible for the spread of AIDS. They also found that if a person was infected with HIV
and they could not fight off the disease it would soon cause the person to become infected with
full blown AIDS. Heath24 (2014). Full Blown AIDS is considered phase five. At this point the
CD4 cell count becomes very low while the viral load becomes very high. While people in this
last phase of HIV usually die within two years, there is some hope that anti-retroviral therapy can
prolong the persons life.
Steinberg (2012), If the epidemic grew roughly exponentially from only one or a few
infected individuals around 1910 to the more than 55 million estimated to have been infected by
2007, there were probably only a few thousand HIV-infected individuals by 1960, all of them in
central Africa.
Polices and Treatment for AIDS

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In Sub-Saharan Africa, there are a few appropriate services to help the targeted
population. Since there is limited funding in the country and they are living in poverty, the
government does not allocate monies toward helping people with AIDS. This is one reason why
AIDS is still developing in Sub-Saharan Africa and is one of the leading causes of death. In SubSaharan Africa there is little medical attention to the people of the country. In Sub-Saharan
Africa there are a few HIV prevention programs that can help individuals. There are now
condom distribution and condom use programs, HIV testing and counseling known as VCT,
preventing mother to child transmission of HIV, reducing injecting drug use, and Antiretroviral
treatment.
According to AVERT (2014), Condom use and distribution play a key role in preventing
HIV transmission around the world. If people would use condoms more frequently, then the
spread of HIV and other sexual transmitted diseases could go down significantly. AVERT (2014),
Voluntary counseling and testing normally involves two sessions, pre-test counseling that
happens before the HIV test and the second session, post-test counseling. (Occurs after the test)
gives the results. VCT has become very popular in the Sub-Saharan Africa as a way of someone
learning their HIV status. Even though there isnt that much funding that is offered and it is a
very low number of people that receive information about their HIV, it is still helping some
people find out what their status is on their HIV.
In Sub-Saharan Africa the African Union Plan of Action on Drug Control wanted to try to
reduce injecting drug use so the African Union Plan of Action on Drug Control for 2013-2017
was adopted. This plan wanted to try to reduce the use of drugs and drug supplies. This action
could help reduce HIV because of the use of needles. Lastly, Antiviral treatment in Sub-Saharan
Africa has only given access to a limited number of people with HIV. AVERT (2014), In 2012,

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68% of people living with HIV in Sub-Saharan had access to antiretroviral treatment. This is
only a little more than half of the people that are infected being able to get treated, this includes
all men, women, and children.
Receiving Services
The programs that are offered to the people of Sub-Saharan Africa have helped many of
them. It is helping the men and women gain a better understanding of transmission and the virus
stages of HIV and AIDS that would do most good. Education programs would empower them to
protect themselves or their children. Nolen (2012), Millions of Africans are living with a virus
from which they might easily have been protected if they had access to education about it, or the
means of defending themselves.
However, antiretroviral treatment is very limited to the groups of Africa. The children are
only half likely to receive the treatment if they are living with the virus. The adults are more
likely to receive the treatment. This is the one main cause on why AIDS is so common among the
population. Children grow up and continue as adults to infect others.
Definition of the Policy
Social stigma, discrimination, and societal prejudices affect the definition. Social
discrimination plays a role because when AIDS was first discovered gay people were the ones to
blame. Gay people at that time had not gained the respect and understanding they are slowly
gaining today. As time went on people who have had sex with multiple partners, drug users, and
having anal intercourse were also stigmatized as people who were passing along the virus.
There are also economic, social, cultural and legal barriers that are affecting access to the
treatment needed. The economic barriers are not having enough funding to help fight the disease.
The social and cultural barriers apply to stigma and discrimination among the people of Sub-

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Saharan, Africa. AVERT (2014), In Sub-Saharan Africa, cultural constructions of HIV and
AIDS based on belief around contamination, sexuality and religion have played a crucial role in
the development of HIV-related discrimination in society. In many places, it is thought to have
actually increased the number of HIV infection.
Women not only in Sub-Saharan Africa but worldwide are also being faced with
discrimination when dealing with AIDS but also with health care and employment. The World
Health Organization in 2008 reported that 52% of countries who reported to the UN General
Assembly included specific, budgeted support for women-focused HIV?AIDS programmes.
Global Differences
Since Africa is an underdeveloped country, they dont have the funding to try to help the
fight against AIDS. This shows why they have the highest number of HIV positive people in the
world. Africa relies on other countries around them to help the fight of AIDS. The United States
is considered to be the country that Sub-Saharan Africa depends the most on funding.
The United States is the direct opposite of Sub-Saharan Africa. The United States has
been the country that has provided resources to the people that are living in the United States
with AIDS. Stolley & Glass, (2009), It gives federal civil rights protections for individuals with
disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government
services, and telecommunications. This is called Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the
citizens that are diagnosed with HIV or AIDS are protected with getting a job or health care.
The Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 section 504 protects qualified individuals with
disabilities, people with AIDS are part of that group. Although this Act is in place, there is still
different forms of discrimination that occur. The United States provides Housing Assistance to
people that are affected with HIV and provides them with a federal program that can give them

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assistance for a home for the individual and their families to live in. The United States also offers
other economic assistance to the people. The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resource
Emergency, also known as the CARE Act helps fund people that are in need of help with billing
purposes for medical expenses. The Drug Assistance Programs also falls under this Act.
The United States Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is a very important plan
that has been put in place. This plan was created under George Bush. This plan helps people
worldwide that are faced with AIDS. It helps them receive antiretroviral treatment. George Bush
wanted this plan to help mainly the people in Sub-Saharan. Although it did, people there are still
facing issues with AIDS and not having enough resources to help them or their families.
In the United States there has recently been a pill that has been created and approved by
the Food and Drug Administration. According to The Editorial Board (2014) The drug, made by
Gilead Sciences and known and Truvada contains two antiviral drugs that have been used for a
decade in combination with other drugs to treat people already infected with HIV. Before the
patients takes this they should be tested to see if they are already infected. If he or she is infected
they then should be taking multiple pills a day. This pill is aimed at people that are in high risk
groups, such as drug users or people that are having sex with multiple partners. This drug is
expensive, but according to The New York Times, this drug is covered by Medicaid programs
and most insurance programs so the individual that is or wants to be protected from the fight
against AIDS can do so without worrying about cost. This is an example of how the Sub-Saharan
is different in regards to funding and manufacturing a new potential drug.
Sub-Saharan relies on The United States and other countries that surround them for a
fight for this cure. Hopefully one day the majority of the people affected with AIDS will receive
the help and treatment that they need to let them survive and live their life.

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Values and Ethics
The treatment of AIDS relates to social work values and ethics because the fight against
HIV/AIDS is not a priority. According to the NASW (2014), Social workers social change
efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other
forms of social injustice. Since social workers are entitled to help other forms of social
injustice, AIDS would apply. The people of Sub-Saharan should be able to receive medical
attention. Most of them are close to dying.
Another value that comes to mind when talking about AIDS is the value of service.
According to the NASW (2014), Social workers primary goal is to help people in need and to
address social problems. Since the resources arent available the social workers involved in this
effort are almost helpless.
Values and Ethics are important when talking about AIDS. Every human deserves the
right to receive medical attention if he or she contracts the virus. The dignity and worth of a
person is important in every situation, at the end of the day we are all human beings and deserve
the same rights. Each person should be respected and cared for equally.

Conclusion
AIDS is a serious medical issue that every country faces. Since AIDS has been diagnosed
on every continent is has been a worldwide problem. Some countries that are living in poverty or
are under-developed do not have the resources to fight this disease. Things need to change.
Women need to have access to and control of resources which impact their health and the health
of their children. Financial barriers must be removed so that access to services can be improved.

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HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination must be addressed so that all people are treated
with dignity and respect.

References
Egger,M.(2011). Cohort Profile: The international epidemiological database to evaluate
AIDS in Sub-Saharan, Africa. Oxford Journals, 41, 1256-1264.

Health and Human Services. (2014). How do you get HIV or AIDS? HIVAIDS101.
Retrieved from www.aids.gov.

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NASW. (2014). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved
from http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code.asp.

Steinberg,J., Nolen,S.(2012). AIDS. Farmington Hills, MI. Greenhaven Press.

AVERT. (2014). HIV and AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. Retrieved from www.avert.org

Stolley,K., Glass.J.(2009). HIV/AIDS. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Press.

The Editorial Board. (2014). A Once-a-Day Pill to Prevent AIDS. The New York Times.
Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/16/opinion/a-once-a-day-pill-toprevent-aids.html?.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infection Diseases Fact Sheet. (2002). Treatment of
HIV Infection.

Joint United Nations.(2012). Program on HIV and AIDS. Unaids Report on the Global
AIDS Epidemic. UNAIDS/10.11EIJC1958E.
Health24.(2014).South African Premier Health Information. Retrieved from
www.health24.com