Transcript HIV/AIDS - Public Health Tools

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects
cells of the immune system, destroying or
impairing their function.
 Infection with the virus results in the progressive
deterioration of the immune system, leading to
immune deficiency.
 HIV infection in humans is considered a pandemic
by the World Health
Organization (WHO).
 From its discovery in 1981 to
2006, AIDS killed more than
25 million people
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Unprotected sexual intercourse (vaginal or
anal), and oral sex with an infected person
Having multiple sex partners or the presence of
other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can
increase the risk of infection during sex.
Sharing of contaminated needles, syringes or
other sharp instruments.
Being born to an infected mother—HIV can be
passed from mother to child during pregnancy,
birth, or breast-feeding.
Being “stuck” with an HIV-contaminated
needle or other sharp object. This risk pertains
mainly to healthcare workers.
 Receiving blood transfusions, blood products,
or organ/tissue transplants that are
contaminated with HIV.
 Contact between broken skin,
wounds, or mucous membranes
and HIV-infected blood or
blood-contaminated body fluids.
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Within a few weeks of being infected with HIV, some
people develop flu-like symptoms that last for a week
or two, but others have no symptoms at all.
People living with HIV may appear and feel healthy
for several years.
AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection, when a person’s
immune system is severely damaged and has difficulty
fighting diseases and certain cancers
Without treatment, people infected with HIV can
expect to develop AIDS eight to ten years after HIV
infection. Taking HIV medications, however, can slow
down this progression. With treatment, it can take ten
to 15 years or more before a person develops AIDS
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Tuberculosis (TB) kills nearly a quarter of a
million people living with HIV each year. It is
the number one cause of death among HIVinfected people in Africa, and a leading cause
of death in this population worldwide.
Someone with untreated latent TB infection
and HIV infection is much more likely to
develop active TB disease during his or her
lifetime than someone without HIV infection
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Opportunistic infections are so named because
they take advantage of the weakened immune
system.
Kaposi's Sarcoma
Pulmonary tuberculosis
Candidiasis of the esophagus, trachea, bronchi or
lungs
Toxoplasmosis of the brain
Severe bacterial infections
Invasive cervical cancer
Lymphoma
Recurrent pneumonia
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The most commonly used HIV tests detect HIV
antibodies
It can take some time for the immune system to
produce enough antibodies for the antibody test to
detect, and this “window period” between infection
with HIV and the ability to detect it with antibody tests
can vary from person to person.
During this time, HIV viral load and the likelihood of
transmitting the virus may be very high.
Most people will develop detectable antibodies within
2 to 8 weeks (the average is 25 days) of their infection.
Ninety-seven percent (97%) of persons will develop
detectable antibodies in the first 3 months.
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The most potentially dangerous relationships involve
men and women who maintain more than one regular
partner for months or years.
More intimate, trusting and long-lasting than casual
sex, most couples eventually stop using condoms,
studies show, allowing easy infiltration by HIV.
The distinction between having several partners in a
year and several in a month is crucial; those newly
infected with HIV experience an initial surge in viral
loads that makes them far more contagious than they
will be for years. During the three-week spike -- which
ends before standard tests can even detect HIV -- the
virus explodes through networks of unprotected sex
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Antiretroviral drugs are used in the treatment and of HIV
infection. They fight HIV by stopping or interfering with the
reproduction of the virus in the body.
Standard antiretroviral therapy (ART)
consists of the use of at least three
antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to maximally
suppress the HIV virus and stop the
progression of HIV disease
Approximately 5.2 million people in low- and middleincome countries were receiving HIV antiretroviral therapy
at the end of 2009. In recent years, increased political and
financial commitment has allowed dramatic expansion of
access to HIV therapy.
There is no cure for HIV
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Abstain from sexual activity or be in a longterm mutually monogamous relationship with
an uninfected partner.
Be Faithful; limit your number of sex partners.
Correct and consistent condom use
Get tested and treated for STDs
Male circumcision
Do not inject drugs or use clean needles
"Stigma remains the single most important
barrier to public action. It is a main
reason why too many people are afraid to
see a doctor to determine whether they
have the disease, or to seek treatment if
so. It helps make AIDS the silent killer,
because people fear the social disgrace of
speaking about it, or taking easily
available precautions. Stigma is a chief
reason why the AIDS epidemic continues
to devastate societies around the world.“
-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon
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HIV/AIDS is a life-threatening disease, and therefore
people react to it in strong ways.
HIV infection is associated with behaviours (such as
homosexuality, drug addiction, prostitution or promiscuity)
that are already stigmatised in many societies.
Most people become infected with HIV through sex which
often carries moral baggage.
There is a lot of inaccurate information about how HIV is
transmitted, creating irrational behaviour and
misperceptions of personal risk.
HIV infection is often thought to be the result of personal
irresponsibility.
Religious or moral beliefs lead some people to believe that
being infected with HIV is the result of moral fault (such as
promiscuity or 'deviant sex') that deserves to be punished.
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HIV/AIDS affects all regions, but is most
prevalent in low and middle income-countries
There were 33 million people living with HIV in
2007, up from 29.5 million in 2001, the result of
continuing new infections, people living longer
with HIV, and general population growth.
An estimated 8 in 10 people infected with HIV do
not know it.
The global prevalence rate (the percent of people
ages 15–49 who are infected) was 0.8% in 2007.
HIV is one of the top ten leading causes of death
worldwide and the number one cause of death in
Africa.
33.4 million
2.7 million
2 million
People living
with
HIV/AIDS
New
Infections
Deaths
Middle East/North Africa
1%
Western/Central Europe
East Asia 2% 2%
North America 4%
Caribbean
0.7% 0.2%
Oceania
Eastern Europe/
4%
Central Asia
Latin America 5%
South/South-East Asia
11%
Sub-Saharan Africa
67%
Total = 33.4 million
Cote
d’Ivorie
Central
Africa
Cameroon
Republic
Uganda
Gabon
Tanzania
Swaziland
Malawi
Zambia
20 – 27%
15 – 19%
10 – 14%
Namibia
0 – 9%
Zimbabwe
Botswana Mozambique
Lesotho
South Africa