HIV \ AIDS Distribution

In groups write down three facts you know about HIV and AID Starter In groups write down three facts you know about HIV and AID

Introduction AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is caused by a virus called HIV (the human immunodeficiency virus). If you are infected with HIV, your body tries to fight the infection by making antibodies. A person who is HIV-positive has these antibodies inside them, which means they have the HIV virus. The HIV virus gradually wears down a person’s immune system, making it more and more difficult for them to fight disease. This means that viruses and bacteria (which do not cause ill-effects in healthy people) make people who are HIV-positive very sick. They develop a group of health problems (a syndrome) called AIDS and eventually, because they have little resistance to disease, HIV-positive people will die.

Distribution of HIV/AIDS In 2010 there were 34 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS Every country in the world has cases, but the overall distribution is very uneven. Tow-thirds of all cases of HIV/AIDS are in Africa but the distribution there is also very uneven. See map on next slide for distribution.

Task Using the figures from the previous slide produce either a pie chart (using the % figures) or a bar graph (using the numbers in thousands) showing the world distribution of HIV/AIDS

Cause, effects and treatment The main ways in which people contract HIV/AIDS are: Sharing a needle with an infected person Having unprotected sex with an infected person Babies drinking the breast milk of an infected mother https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x13XDNr39o

Cause, effects and treatment Once a person is HIV-positive, other factors which weaken a person’s immune system make him or her more likely to develop AIDS. The main weakening factors are: Drug abuse Poverty Malnutrition Depression Other infections

Cause, effects and treatment In poorer countries, especially in Africa, the greater number of cases of AIDS is due to the greater number of people living in poverty and suffering from malnutrition and other infections. In addition, there is less health education so many people are unaware of the causes of AIDS and how the risk of infection can be reduced. War and the breakdown of law accelerate the spread of AIDS because of the poverty and malnutrition which follows, and because of the higher incidence of rape.

Cause, effects and treatment Sadly, many areas of sub-Saharan Africa have suffered conflict in recent years, for example Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo. In developed countries, drug abuse is a much bigger factor in the spread of AIDS than it is in developing countries.

Consequences of HIV / AIDS The consequences, especially for some African countries (where 69% of those infected live) are extremely serious: The prevention, detection and treatment of AIDS is expensive. To treat all the AIDS infected people in Africa would cost three times the amount of money available for all health care As adults become ill, responsibility falls on the older children to try and earn money, provide food and care for their family. This is almost impossible for them and is often at the expense of their own education. So the next generation of African adults will be less educated, less wealthy and less healthy than the previous generation.

Consequences of HIV / AIDS People are dying younger and so have fewer years when they are economically active. In addition, as they fall ill they are less able to work. With so many adults affected, this is seriously reducing production on farms, in factories and in offices in every African country. South Africa has calculated that its total income will reduce by nearly 20% because of AIDS. Because there are fewer people working, there are fewer taxpayers, so the country is producing less wealth and also has less tax money to pay for services and to carry out development plans

Treatment There is no cure for AIDS but there are ARV (antiviral) drugs which slow down the effects of the HIV virus. There are also drugs which stop the disease passing from pregnant mothers to their babies. Health education programmes can be used to try to prevent the disease from spreading.

Treatment It is also important for people to be tested, as many do not know they are carrying the disease. In addition, efforts can be made to reduce the effects of factors which hasten the development of AIDS Attempts to reduce poverty and improve diet should therefore reduce malnutrition and slow down the progress of the disease

Exam question a) what factors affect the distribution of HIV / AIDS? 4 marks b) Explain the consequences of HIV /AIDS for a country. 4 marks c) How can HIV / AIDS be treated? 3 marks