Hiv in South Africa - 1136 Words

Evaluate the most important factors in determining the relative emphasis placed by policy-makers, in S.A. on prevention as opposed to treatment of HIV. One of the major problems affecting the South African country is the spread of HIV. The country is believed to have the most number of HIV victims than any other country. As seen on the diagram, South Africa has the highest adult HIV prevalence. (GRAPH) Only 10% of the children who need treatment are able to have the benefit of undergoing treatment; this causes the country’s life expectancy to decrease further. By looking at the different ways on how the government is dealing with the spread of HIV, we can see that their decisions are based towards the prevention of HIV as oppose to†¦show more content†¦South Africa would greatly benefit from this system but because of their excessive financial and economic problems, the country is unable to provide its people with this assistance. Since the people are not able to afford the medication that they need, policy-makers are forced to place emphasis on prevention in opposed to treatment again due to financial reason. The last major factor in determining the relative emphasis placed by policy-makers in South Africa on prevention rather than treatment of HIV is the social-cultural factors. A common action of the people in the country is keeping the fact that they are infected with HIV a secret. Many look at this as a taboo subject wherein they must keep this information private. This practice leads to the spread of the epidemic, as many of them perform intercourse not knowing whether or not their partner has HIV. Another socio-cultural factor is the popular myth within the society that an HIV-positive person can be â€Å"cured† by sleeping with a virgin. This idea spreads the diseases even more throughout the community as men and even women do not stop until their sickness is â€Å"cured† by sleeping with a virgin. In order to prevent ideas such as these, true facts about HIV are advocated in public areas such as schools. However, there are many citizens who are unable to afford schoo ling or who simply do not bother to go to school, which leads them toShow MoreRelatedHiv/Aids South Africa5278 Words   |  22 PagesThe HIV/AIDS Epidemic In South Africa Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is one of many infectious diseases that plague the world today. According to the 2007 AIDS epidemic update put out by The United Nations Joint Program on HIV/AIDS (UNIADS) there were approximately 2.1 million AIDS related deaths and 33.2 million people infected with HIV world wide (UNAIDS/WHO Working Group, 2007). Despite its abundant resources and its well-developedRead MoreThe Effects Of Hiv And Aids On South Africa1279 Words   |  6 PagesThe history in how HIV and AIDS in South Africa occurred is one of the most controversial of any country. 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