The Human Immunodeficiency Virus ( Siv ) - 2285 Words

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV, is primarily a sexually transmitted infection. It can also be spread by contact with infected blood, most commonly IV drug users, or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breast-feeding. When HIV weakens the immune system HIV develops into AIDS. The start of HIV was said to come from a strain of DNA from Chimpanzee’s to contain polio. HIV/AIDS has become a widely spread virus that affects the human immune system. Africa has had the greatest number of infected persons, both adults and children than any other continent. According to a ten year study finished in the year 2005; a strain of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) was found in a number of chimpanzee colonies in the south east†¦show more content†¦This pandemic was much more sufficient in Western Africa especially in areas around Lake Victoria. This was rapid increase was caused by high ratio of men in the urban population, lack of circumcision for the males, widespread labor migration, low status of woman, and sexually transmitted diseases. The pandemic was thought to spread so quickly because eighty-five percent of sex workers were infected with HIV. During the 1990’s the infection was booming in Southern Africa, since HIV had been on the continent for a number of years, there were a few ideas about prevention campaigns, but those were to minimum effect because there was no effective treatment in Africa. In 1999, Kenyan president Daniel Arap Moi declared that HIV was a nation disaster. Eastern Africa HIV population was starting to drop off, Kampala HIV population had fallen from 30% down to 12%. In 2000, five pharmaceutical companies offered to help and reduce the prices on the HIV drugs for all of Africa and other poor regions. These companies fought for the lower prices to try and manufacture drugs for lower prices. This lead to generic drugs that they would sell to the ones in need in Africa. This started a scare because of the unstable health care they have in Africa. The next problem was some did not know how to properly take these drugs or how much to take. The distribution was one of many other problems the companies had, because it was difficult