The
war against HIV/AIDS is far from being over. This is because, globally,
more than 34 million people now live with HIV/AIDS, while 3.3 million
of them are under the age of 15.
According
to amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, which is dedicated to
ending the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research, in 2011
alone, an estimated 2.5 million people were newly infected with HIV; and
out of these, 330,000 were under the age of 15.
Sad to say, everyday, nearly 7,000 people contract HIV — nearly 300 every hour.
And,
despite the giant strides made in the fight against this disease, in
2011, 1.7 million people died from AIDS, and 230,000 of them were under
the age of 15.
And
if you must know, more than two-thirds (69 per cent) of all people
living with HIV (23.5 million), live in sub-Saharan Africa, of which
Nigeria is a part. Ninety-one percent of the world’s HIV-positive
children are also found in the sub-Sahara. And in 2011, an estimated 1.8
million people in the region became newly infected.
An estimated 1.2 million adults and children died of AIDS, accounting for 71 per cent of the world’s AIDS deaths in 2011.
Experts
say since the beginning of the epidemic in the early 1980s, more than
60 million people, globally, have contracted HIV; and nearly 30 million
have died of HIV-related causes.
If
these statistics convey any message at all, it is this: HIV knows no
border and anybody can be infected with it. Worse still is the huge
number of young people who were indicated as victims of this disease.
Indeed, experts fear that apart from young people who may have been born
HIV-positive as a result of Mother-To-Child-Transmission, many young
people contract the infectious disease through unprotected sex with
someone already infected.
But
then, medical experts tell us that though there’s no cure for HIV/AIDS
yet, when detected early, HIV can be managed and prevented from
progressing to AIDS. The Director-General of the National Agency for the
Control of AIDS, Prof. John Idoko, advises every sexually active person
to regularly undergo HIV screening, so that they will know their HIV
status.
Epidemiologist
and Deputy Director, HIV/AIDS Division, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr.
Segilola Araoye, recommends being tested at least once a year if you do
things that can transmit HIV infection, such as injecting drugs or
steroids with used injection equipment; having sex for money or drugs;
having sex with an HIV infected person; having more than one sex partner
since your HIV test; and having a sex partner who has had other sex
partners since your last HIV test.
Experts
say you are more likely to be infected with HIV if you have ever shared
injection drug needles and syringes; have ever had sex without a condom
with someone who had HIV; have ever had a sexually transmitted disease
like Chlamydia or gonorrhoea; received a blood transfusion or a blood
clotting factor between 1978 and 1985; and if you have ever had sex with
someone who has done any of those things.
And
if you happen to be one of those people who still dither about having
HIV screening, here are the symptoms to look out for as you wonder
whether or not you are HIV-positive.
The
first one is fever. Family doctor, Eugene Osazie, says within a month
or two of HIV entering the body, 40-90 per cent of people experience
flu-like symptoms known as “acute retroviral syndrome.” She also notes
that sometimes, HIV may not manifest for years. “As such, many people
may even be HIV-positive without being aware,” she says.
She
notes that such fever may be accompanied by certain symptoms such as
fatigue, swollen lymph glands, and a sore throat, which may last for a
few weeks. “By this time, the virus is moving into the blood stream and
starting to replicate in large numbers,” Osazie warns.
She
also warns that when HIV enters the bloodstream, it begins to attack
certain white blood cells known as CD4 cells — the specialised cells
that are a part of our immune system. “The immune system then produces
antibodies to fight off infection. When you take an HIV test, doctors
are actually looking for the presence of these antibodies, which confirm
that HIV infection has occurred,” Osazie counsels.
Again,
you should be worried if you now feel fatigued by simple activities
that you were used to, such as walking; or if you feel pain in the
joints and muscles, among others.
“One
of the things that should ginger you up is when you start having
swellings in the armpits, groin and neck, as these are some of the parts
of the body where you have the lymph nodes.
“The
lymph nodes are a sort of garrisons, as they act as filters for foreign
particles and are important in the proper functioning of the immune
system. When they are inflamed or swollen, therefore, it is an
indication that something has gone wrong in the body, and only a
competent medical screening can tell us what is cooking,” Dr. David
Anyaegbuna of DuCross Clinics, Festac Town, Lagos, says.
Sore
throat and headaches are also things to worry about if you have been
engaging in risky behaviours as outlined above, experts warn. Ditto
unexplained rash or boils, Anyaegbuna says.
Physicians
also say nausea, vomiting and constant stooling (diarrhoea), as well as
weight loss should be a wake-up call for HIV screening, as these may be
signs that the immune system is being depleted systematically.
Doctors
also advise that if you have prolonged dry cough that has become
resistant to regular antibiotics; or if you always have night sweats
even when the weather is cool; or if you develop mouth ulcers or genital
herpes, go for HIV screening.
The online portal, health.com,
also warns that if the colour of the nail changes, or if it thickens,
splits or becomes discoloured with black or brown lines, HIV may be
responsible.
As
HIV courses through the body, Anyaegbuna says, the virus damages the
nerves. It is then people start having tingling in the hands and feet —
otherwise known as “peripheral neuropathy,” as you find among those who
have diabetes.
Gynaecologists
also warn that if, as a young or middle aged woman, you have fewer and
lighter periods, it may be a manifestation of advanced HIV, which
sometimes increases the incidence of menstrual irregularities.
Idoko
agrees that those working in the field of HIV/AIDS need regular skills
acquisition training. And in order to further equip resource persons,
the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with global bodies that
include the World Health Organisation, holds regular stakeholders’
meetings, during which workers are trained to better understand relevant
issues.
At
one of such trainings in Lagos recently, a WHO official, Dr. Niyi
Ogundiran, notes that the trainings aim to provide caregivers and those
working in the field of HIV/AIDS practical knowledge about how to
provide support for people living positively.
“The
training also seeks to sharpen caregivers’ communications skills to
enable them to provide appropriate guidance for people living with the
virus,” Ogundiran says.
On
the paucity of funds that tends to affect health care delivery in the
country, Araoye advocates continued judicious utilisation of available
resources in order to curb the spread of the disease.
