What is AIDS?
People affected with AIDS
Department of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) under World Health Organization estimated that 3.4 millions children are living with HIV in the world. 90% of them are living in Sub-Saharan area. HIV can be transmitted to the children through mother-to-child transmission. So, the health of the children in that area is under potential risk because 58% of the women living with HIV is in Sub-Saharan area (Mwaba et al., 2015).
How Children can be affected by HIV?
• Infected with HIV: A most common way a child can be infected by HIV is mother-to-child transmission. The other ways a child can be infected by HIV are contaminated blood transfusions and unsterilized medical equipment (Attawell, 1997).
• Affected by HIV: HIV impacts the children in numerous ways. Their growth, and physical, mental and behavioural development is impacted by HIV (Attawell, 1997). HIV also cause neurological symptoms, cognitive failure, learning disabilities as well as speech and language problems. Researchers found that 90% children with HIV have neurological disorder (Mwaba et al., 2015). Research found that children with HIV have high morbidity rate and they have abnormality in growth. Children growth start when they are in the womb. It is found that the weights of newborn babies of HIV positive mothers are lower than non-HIV mothers (Mwaba et al., 2015). Those children who are infected by HIV, four out of ten die by the age of 12 months and some of them survive up to 2 years, some of them reach adolescence (Attawell, 1997).
• Vulnerable to HIV: The children without parents and displaced have associated risk of HIV infection. The orphan children who doesn’t have family support, education and skills involve in inconsiderate activities and become vulnerable to HIV infections (Attawell, 1997).
Social Impact:
In 1997, nine million children lost their mother because of AIDS and 30 million children was living HIV positive parents. It was estimated that in 2010, 40 millions of under five children will lost one or both parents (Attawell, 1997).
Loss of a parent or parents affect children severely. The affect widely varies from country to country, culture to culture, as well as social, family and legal structure. In some places, children may lose their right on property. Some family member take care of them and who are not able fulfill the basic need of the children. As a result, they are not sent to school and start working at early edge. The children who specially lost their mother have poor health then who have mother (Attawell, 1997).
Prevention and Care:
As HIV & AIDS is a non-curable disease, we need to put all of our efforts to prevent it. Creating awareness and making the resources available to the vulnerable groups is crucial. It is important to educate them the causes of HIV infection and how the small steps can save them. Also need well trained health workers who will disseminate the information (Attawell, 1997). The Key issues are:
• Information regarding safe sex
• Availability of resources
• Creating awareness
• Women empowerment
• Monitor health of vulnerable group closely
(Attawell, 1997)
Along all of these, poverty elevation is the most important thing that can reduce the risk HIV & AIDS infection significantly.
I am shearing the following video about impact of AIDS on children
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOp5O5fape0
Questions:
1. Are the root causes of HIV infection have been addressed?
2. How poverty impact on children & HIV infections?
3. Have enough resources allocated for HIV?