Custom «The Pandemic of HIV AIDS» Essay Paper Sample

The pandemic of HIV/AIDS is one of the main challenges facing the world nowadays. It is true that the malady has proved difficult to combat because no effective cure has been found as yet. Therefore, the world has come together in trying to use different methods to fight the disease. This is perhaps the reason why there have been immense impacts on the number of people suffering from the disease. As at 2009, new HIV infections had reduced by over 17 percent within eight years. Although the disease has been associated with the developing world, the World Health Organization points out that there was a sharp increase in HIV and AIDS cases in the developed countries, such as those in Europe. This was happening concurrently with what was happening in the developing world where most African countries are found. This implies that the spread of the disease isaffecting both the developingand developed world.

Studies into the African continent also show that the rate of infections associated with the virus is also on the decline. This is an indication that the fight against the disease is bearing fruit. According to the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), prevention strategies are making immense progress. This is supported by the reduced number of people infected every year and an increase in the number of people living with the virus. In this regard, the United Nations through various agencies, such as the World Health Organization, has done a lot in fighting the disease. One of the major ways of tackling the problem includes availing funds to a number of countries. This has enabled them to provide medication for HIV-positive people at affordable rates, thus prolonging their lives.

There are many other programs developed by different bodies aiming at combating the HIV pandemic. Some of these programs are sponsored jointly with the World Bank. A clear example is the Multi-Country AIDS Program (MAP). As part of this project, Africa has received a sizeable amount of money for fighting the disease. This means that the notion that most Africans cannot afford the drugs (antiretroviral) could not be true. Although the continent faces many tough economic challenges, this assistance from the rest of the world is actually significant. This is the reason why the rate of disease spread has been slowing down consistently over the recent years. In addition, the program in Africa has improved the way patients are given care, support and treatment, thus improving the entire status of the disease in the continent. The Multi-Country AIDS program is also given credit in the developing world, especially in Africa because it has achieved most of the objectives it was meant to accomplish. In other words, this program has been extraordinarily effective since its inception. As of 2003, this establishment was the chief source of funds for fighting HIV and AIDS. This means that the word has been successful in coming together for a common purpose and achieving much of it. This is a clear indication that people are willing to help other people in different parts of the globe. Therefore, global citizenship is clear in such a scenario because people from different parts of the world are coming together for the interests of the world in general. It is worth noting that the funds used in such a program are contributed by different countries all over the world.

Infectious diseases are rampant in the world and not much can be done by man to eliminate some of them. One such dangerous infectious disease is Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which manifests itself as an Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. This disease has claimed many lives, especially in the developing countries of the African continent since it was discovered. Many people in that region do not have the means to purchase treatment to prolong their lives, let alone cure them. However, the international community has been getting involved in helping to control the pandemic that is threatening the existence of man on planet Rarth.

Treatment of HIV and AIDS has left the world puzzled since none of the current treatments so far has proven to be effective. This means that the world can do nothing but try and find some mitigating solutions to the problem. Complications in treatment due to factors such as ethnicity, race, and serotypes have made it difficult to find a comprehensive cure. Some medications work better in certain races but fail in others. Similar trends can be observed even along sexes and HIV-serostatus of different people.

The fact that Africa has been the hardest hit by HIV cannot be overestimated. This is because the continent is weak economically and held back by some socio-cultural factors. For instance, women of South Africa are poorer compared to men. This is because of the different social and gender positions occupied by the two sexes. Poverty levels are directly associated with prevalence of HIV, thus women in south Africa are affected more than men. This makes it difficult for women to afford treatment, thus leading them to their premature death because they cannot prolong their lives. However, foreign aid has contributed much in fighting the epidemic. In addition, internal financial support has given a renewed boost to the efforts aimed at combating HIV/AIDS. Otherwise, the fact remains that HIV/AIDS directed foreign aid has a positive effects on a country’s treatment rates.

Global partnerships have been formed, thus offering some assistance to such groups. Some of the most effective partnerships are those between governmental and non-governmental organizations including other development partners, such as the World Bank. This achieves interconnected response networks that interact well in tackling HIV and AIDS. Additional efforts that global partners are undertaking include educating the populations about the disease, thus encouraging them to change their sexual behavior. This shows that the international community has been involved in solving the problem of HIV and AIDS, especially in Africa. This is also a significant indicator of global citizenship traits where people are willing to come together to help one another.