Transcript Current Threats to Public Health

HIV/AIDS
What is it?
 HIV--- Human
Immunodeficiency Virus
 HIV is the virus that causes
the disease, AIDS.
 HIV belongs to a special
group of viruses called
retroviruses.
 It infects the body’s immune
system cells and destroys
them, leading to the disease
known as AIDS.
What is it?
 AIDS—Acquired
Immunodeficiency
Syndrome
 AIDS reduces the
effectiveness of the
immune system and
allows opportunistic
pathogens to take over
the body.
What is it?
 No one ever dies of AIDS, they
die of other diseases or illnesses
that happen because the
immune system has been
destroyed.
 AIDS patients usually die from
Kaposi’s sarcoma (a cancer that
Tom Hanks’ character had in
Philadelphia) or pneumocystis
(a very bad form of pneumonia)
or AIDS dementia complex
(brain deterioration).
 These are illnesses that healthy
people do not get!
What are the symptoms?
 The symptoms of AIDS are
shown on the diagram.
 If you present these
symptoms, a special blood
test called an ELISA is done
to determine if HIV is
present.
How does it destroy the Immune
System?
 HIV attaches to and destroys special white blood cells
known as T-cells.
 T-cells identify and “eat” pathogens that invade our
bodies.
 T-cells also notify another type of white blood cells, Bcells, to make antibodies against invaders so if/when
they come back, the body is better prepared.
 Without T-cells and B-cells, essentially the immune
system is wiped out.
B-Cell (left) and T-Cell (right)
The T cell sends chemicals called cytokines to stimulate B cells to make
antibodies.
How is it transmitted?

Many ways:
1) Direct Contact (sexual):
usually through contact with
semen, pre-ejaculate or
vaginal secretions.
How is it transmitted?
2) Direct Contact (with
infected blood): can be due
to sharing needles through
drug use or insulin
applications. Also has
happened due to tainted
blood being allowed to be
given to patients in need of
blood transfusions.
How is it transmitted?
3) Vertical Transmission: Unfortunately, HIV can travel via a
pregnant mother to her fetus in the last weeks of pregnancy.
Fortunately there is only a 1 in 4 chance of successful
transmission.
Who is at risk?
 Anyone who has casual,
unprotected sex.
 Anyone who shares needles
for any purpose.
 Anyone who received blood
products in Canada in the
1980s.
How do we prevent ourselves from
getting HIV/AIDS?
1) Abstinence from any sexual behaviour and intravenous drug use.
How do we prevent ourselves from
getting HIV/AIDS?
 If you do have sex, make sure it is
safe sex.
 Use a condom (with nonoxynol-9)
and know the sexual history of the
person you are sleeping with.
 If you engage in sex with multiple
partners over a short time period,
please visit the local public health
unit and get tested for STDs to
ensure you are safe.
 If you are using needles for drug use
or insulin injections or tattooing, do
not share needles!
Treatment
 There is no cure for HIV or AIDS at present.
 The HIV virus can be slowed down by using antiviral drugs such as AZT
which slow down the spread of HIV through the body, but do not fully
stop it.
 Over time, the HIV virus becomes immune and a different mix of
antiviral drugs are needed to slow it down.
Why should we be concerned?
 Because there is no cure!
 The mortality rate for anyone
who has AIDS is 100%. You
will die, some earlier than
others, but in the end you die
earlier than a normal, healthy
person.
 It is decimating Africa and
now spreading outward
through Asia and Europe.
What about Canadians?
 The number of
Canadians living with
HIV continues to grow.
At the end of 2005, an
estimated 58,000 people
were living with HIV
infection.
 27% of Canadians
infected with HIV did
not know!
When did it become a problem?
 AIDS was first reported in
1981 in Los Angeles, but has
since been suspected of
deaths occurring during the
60s and 70s.
 It has become a problem in
developing nations since the
mid-1990s and now pushing
through in many developed
nations.
 As of 2009, it is estimated
that over 33.3 million people
are HIV positive (74% of
them living in sub-Saharan
Africa)
When did it become a problem?
What was the Public Health Agency
of Canada’s Response?
 After waiting almost 25 years,
PHAC and the federal
government launched the
“Federal Initiative to Address
HIV/AIDS in Canada” in
January of 2005.
What was the Public Health Agency
of Canada’s Response?
 Its main goals are:
Prevent the acquisition and
transmission of new
infections;
2) Slow the progression of the
disease and improve quality of
life;
3) Reduce the social and
economic impact of
HIV/AIDS;
4) Contribute to the global effort
to reduce the spread of HIV
and mitigate the impact of the
disease.
1)
Leading Together
 Canada had a plan in place to combat AIDS/HIV from
2005 until 2010.
 http://www.leadingtogether.ca/pdf/Mini_Leading_To
gether_web_e-1.pdf
 Currently, there is no document about Canada’s
mandate for AIDS.
Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative (CHVI)
 CHVI has been a 5 year
collaboration between
the Canadian
government and the Bill
and Melinda Gates
foundation.
 It represents a significant
contribution to the
global search for an HIV
vaccine.
What are some common questions
about the HIV/AIDS Vaccine?
1) Why do we need an HIV vaccine?



Over 33.3 million people in the world have AIDS or
are HIV positive. More than a quarter do know it!
(estimated at 27%).
Vaccines are the safest and globally accessible way to
preventing the spread of a viral disease.
A vaccine for HIV will save millions of lives and save
countries millions of dollars in health care.
What are some common questions
about the HIV/AIDS Vaccine?
2) How long before there is a vaccine against HIV?


Current estimates based on the amount of funding at
present put a one dose, effective vaccine about 10
years away.
Many scientists however believe that due to the
complexity of the HIV virus, a vaccine may not be
100% effective at prevention.
What are some common questions
about the HIV/AIDS Vaccine?
3) Can you get AIDS from casual contact?


NO! Hugging, shaking hands, playing sports, doing
Yoga, etc… with someone infected with HIV or
someone who has AIDS will not transfer the disease
onto you.
You cannot get it from a mosquito either, so don’t
even go there!