FIGHTING THE VIRUS: HIV/AIDS IN AFRICA
The numbers are frightening: in 2002 more than 40 million people in the world were living with HIV or AIDS. Of these, about 3 million were children and more than 11 million were between 15 and 24. Since the first case was discovered in 1981, nearly 24 million people have died of AIDS and about 3 million people die of the disease every year. Each year, more than 5 million people become infected with the virus.
The situation is especially difficult in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the United Nations, there are 640 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa, and almost 27 million are infected with the virus. Of all the AIDS deaths to date, 16 million, or 66.7, have been in Africa and in 2002 there were 3.5 million new infections. HIV / AIDS is spreading fast -- more than 3 million Africans become infected every year -- and most countries do not have enough money to prevent and treat the disease. About 2.5 million Africans die of AIDS every year and tens of millions more will die soon if nothing is done. Millions of children lose their parents and families lose their ability to make enough money to survive. The effect of AIDS is so strong that many African countries are almost being destroyed by the disease. If these numbers were to grow, the future of Africa might be in danger.
As with many diseases, children seem to suffer the most from AIDS. About 2 million African children have HIV / AIDS. Even if they themselves are not infected, the disease can ruin their lives. They may have to care for sick relatives and are often unable to go to school. Living with a parent or parents who have AIDS is painful and difficult. Because the parents cannot work, the children may not have enough food and must help take care of the family. If a child is indeed infected, he or she often has to keep the disease a secret. If people were more understanding, the lives of these children could be improved. One of the most important things we must do is to make sure that children who are affected by the disease receive the help and care that they need.
The good news is that it is still not too late to protect the poor against the worst effects of HIV /AIDS. By providing education, health care and wider access to medicines, the spread of the disease can be slowed down and the effects can be reduced. In some parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, the fight against the virus is beginning to show results. In areas where powerful action has been taken, there are fewer new infections and better care for the victims of the disease. Great challenges remain, of course: prevention efforts and the treatment, care and support of those who are suffering from the disease must continue.
More than 90 of Africans have not acquired HIV/AIDS. What we must do now is to make sure that they do not become infected in the future. It is especially important to protect young people from the disease. We must also treat and care for the millions of Africans who are living with the disease. We must also understand that HIV / AIDS is a global problem. The disease may have hit Sub-Saharan Africa harder than other areas, but the disease is still spreading and we must all be part of the fight against the virus. If more is done, the situation will improve. It seems unlikely that AIDS will ever disappear. We hope for a cure and new discoveries, but the fact seems to be that we must all learn to live with HIV / AIDS.
