Question

Choose all of the accurate statements regarding the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

1.HIV was first diagnosed in the 1980s.
2.Some people did not seek treatment for HIV because of the social stigma of the disease.
3.Western countries have offered little help to AIDS-stricken countries.
4.African governments led the way in finding treatment for HIV/AIDS in the early years of the disease.
5.Over half of all HIV/AIDS deaths in the world are in Africa.
6.Civil war and economic problems slowed the response of many African countries.
7.Effective medical treatment has practically ended AIDS as an issue in Africa today.

Answer 1

Option 1 correct: In early 1980's rare forms of pneumonia, cancer and other illnesses were diagnosed in young gay men and in drug users. However, these sectors of the population were not the only ones, also cases of blood transfusion patients who were infected.

Option 2 correct: AIDS is a disease that not only is related to social stigmas but also ignorance at the beginning of its discovery prevailed. People with AIDS did not want to tell they had it for fear of discrimination, losing jobs or even questioning of their sexual preference.

Option 3 incorrect; It has decreased in recent years, but the United Nations’ Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria gives financial support to different regions, but there is also lack of policies to fight against discrimination.

Option 4 incorrect: Africa is still struggling with the AIDS epidemic from an educational point of view, and in the early years the continent did not recognize the problem. Moreover, the World Health Organization focused on Africa's treatment with the antiretroviral drugs from very young ages to have a higher life expectancy as an adult, with no many advances on the field.

Option 5 correct: In the west and Central Africa mostly. In 2017 there were over 6.1 million Africans living with AIDS and according to recent data, over 65% of the current population with AIDS lives in Africa. In addition, this will just get worst if ignorance and stigmatization continue, as some studies state that over 40% of people with the disease, do not know they have it.

Option 6 correct: In addition to dealing with AIDS, this region has to face other humanitarian crisis, conflict or post-conflict consequences and even wars, representing a barrier to focus on the illness. The strategy currently is to strengthen early diagnosis, provide test kits, ARVs for the population and increase awareness.

Option 7 incorrect: AIDS is still a major issue en the African continent, over 67% of the population live under AIDS treatment, from which 26 % are children. There were around 370,000 infected new cases in 2017 and there is still a high percentage of the population that do not know that they are infected, therefore, the transmission of the disease does not stop, on the contrary, it continues.