Via RHC
Often overshadowed by other news stories about the endless cycle of imperial wars and natural disasters, which are becoming increasingly intense and costly in terms of human lives, the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, AIDS, remains a threat to millions of people despite the modern progress in research and treatments.
Its first manifestations appeared in the 1970’s, but it was not until the next decade when it was officially acknowledged in many places.
In 1982, scientists coined the term AIDS to cluster those ailments and illnesses caused by human immunodeficiency virus.
Since then, scientists worldwide have been struggling to understand the mechanisms of this disease and find a way to contain it and, if possible, to cure it.
A serious obstacle is the high cost of research and drugs, unaffordable in the countries where the majority of patients are concentrated, precisely the poorest.
The latest data reported by the UN agency coordinating the AIDS battle say that just over 33 million people are currently living with the virus, of whom 2.3 million are under 15 years old.
According to UNAIDS, three million humans were infected in 2010, while 2 million 100 thousand people died of AIDS-related causes in 2009.
The report also finds that 68% of the patients are in very poor African countries, followed by the Caribbean area with one percent of its adult population infected.
Below is Asia with nearly 5 million HIV-positive carriers, of which 400 thousand were detected last year.
Although it shows a slight decline in its global rate, one can easily see that the figures are enormous and the disease is still deadly, as there is still no proven cure or vaccine to prevent its transmission.
There is also the threat of underreporting of HIV carriers or AIDS patients, especially in poor countries with weak healthcare systems, and where there is a large number of patients who are unaware of their condition.
Also, there are many governments that lack the proper resources or political will, or both, to undertake education campaigns about the disease, its characteristics, and ways of transmission and protection measures.
People must understand that once infected by HIV, there are only palliatives to reduce the effects of the virus. Even when the most effective treatments slow the disease and the transformation of HIV to the status of AIDS, that process cannot be avoided.
Humanity has learned a lot in the 30 years of struggle against this deadly epidemic, but mostly individual and collective responsibility, lifelong learning, sensitivity and awareness, as well as an effective institutional and international commitment, stand for the most effective weapons we currently have to confront HIV and AIDS, the so-called Pandemic of the XX century.