Global warming. Nuclear threats from North Korea. The Syrian refugee crisis. The United States presidential election of 2016. All of the aforementioned issues have immense significance on the global scale, and continue to have the same exposure to the public eye. Media coverage of these politically and socially charged topics is continually on the rise, polarizing the United States and the world. Yet there is an issue that persistently plagues most of Africa in a prominent manner, and, in proportion to the issue’s magnitude is currently receiving a low amount of coverage.
What is this large-scale issue that affects Africa? Progress has largely stalled since 2008 for the HIV and AIDS epidemic, at least for Africa, when foreign funding was revoked significantly, despite the global trend of an overall decrease (Beaubien). Since 2011, African people experienced 71% of HIV-related deaths (DoSomething.org). However, despite the fact that the bulk of the issue is located in Africa, the HIV epidemic has gravity throughout the globe, in terms of the health crisis and progress in medicine (Beaubien). In addition, the HIV and AIDS epidemic has an impact on women’s rights and health overall (Doucleff). But who exactly is affected the most by the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Africa, and what is the state of progress?
Young women, typically of the 15 to 29 age bracket, are the most affected by HIV and AIDS across the entire continent of Africa. These women do not have any control over their own reproductive health, leading to an increased rate of infection. In one clinic, 38% of pregnant women tested as positive for HIV, a percentage widely regarded as unprecedentedly high (Doucleff). Innovations in HIV prevention technology have helped the plight of women, yet the issue still remains that women are more affected by HIV and AIDs (Doucleff). According to DoSomething.org, pregnant women without HIV medicine has a 20 to 45% chance that her infant will receive the illness. This contributes to the issue of women’s rights and safety in the context of the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Africa, leaving the question of what the current state of progress is.
The progress since 1997 has brought about a decrease in HIV-related deaths worldwide, yet progress has been slower in Africa, as there are still several problems with the current system that would need to be addressed for more progress to occur (Beaubien). In 1997, the year when the number of HIV-infected people worldwide was at its highest, there were 3.5 million people infected, and there were 2 million affected in 2010 (Beaubien). In addition, AIDS is the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa (Goblin). Despite this overall negative trend, in South Africa, mother-to-child transmissions have decreased 90 percent and new infections have dropped by one third (McNeil). As mentioned above, innovations in technology are underway for women who are susceptible to being infected with HIV against their will, which contribute to progress (Doucleff).
As evidenced, the issues of women’s rights and the higher susceptibility of women to HIV and AIDS in Africa is intrinsically tied to the progress being made overall. An increase in women’s health in Africa overall would cause the trend of HIV and AIDS to decrease (Doucleff). Overall, progress is following the same trend of hovering between technological innovations and obstacles such as a lack of funding and stigma towards women’s health (McNeil). However, further developments that are yet to be occur amidst the rampant yet declining HIV and AIDS epidemic in Africa remain to be seen.
Works Cited:
Beaubien, Jason. "Why Can't We Bring Down The Number Of New HIV Cases?" NPR. NPR, 01 Dec. 2016. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
Doucleff, Michaeleen. "The HIV Trap: A Woman's Lack Of Control." NPR. NPR, 23 July 2016. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
Jr., Donald G. McNeil. "AIDS Progress in South Africa Is in Peril." The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Aug. 2014. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
Goliber, Thomas. "The Status of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa." The Status of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
"HIV and AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Overview." AVERT. N.p., 01 May 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
"11 Facts about HIV in Africa." DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
I really liked how you kept everything very concise and informative. I was surprised at the magnitude of the problem in Africa and the statistics you put in really helped to support your points. What are some more solutions to fix this issue?
ReplyDeleteThis was interesting for me to read because I wrote my article on a similar topic! I enjoyed hearing more about how women are affected because I did not spend as much time discussing that in my article.
ReplyDeleteThere's so much research on this, you have many very convincing statistics.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed your intro. It is interesting how there is such as connection between technological advancements, funding, and the degree of progress regarding HIV and AIDS.
ReplyDeleteI love how this paper is more statistics heavy since it enforces the idea that HIV and AIDS is a major problem in Africa that needs more media coverage. I also love your descriptive words and diction.
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