HIV/AIDS
A worldwide killer
What is HIV/AIDS?
- HIV is a disease in which the HIV virus enters the T-cell (a fighter cell in the immune system) and makes duplicates. HIV causes the T-cells to destroy healthy T-cells and become inefficient in stopping the spread of other viruses.
- AIDS is declared when the amount of T-cells in a persons body has significantly decreased and the person can no longer fight off infections and diseases.
Estimated HIV Infection in Africa
Origin of HIV/AIDS
- Scientists believe that HIV came from a particular kind of chimpanzee located in Western Africa.
- Humans had come in contact with HIV when they hunted the particular chimpanzee and became infected.
- Another theory is that western physicians infected Africans through oral polio vaccines in the 1950's.
Awaiting Tomorrow - People Living with HIV/AIDS in Africa
Spread of HIV/AIDS
- HIV has been predicted to have first spread to humans in the late 19th or early 20th century.
- HIV/AIDS spreads today through contact with blood and other body fluids from a person that is infected with HIV/AIDS.
- Scientists have taken strains and guessed the year of origin of HIV/AIDS, which was predicted to be sometime between 1870 and 1902.
Spread of HIV/AIDS Map
Statistics of HIV/AIDS in Africa
- Sub-Saharan Africa has 69% of people living with AIDS and 70% of deaths in 2011 were due to AIDS.
- In 2011 HIV has affected at least 10% of the population in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
- Swaziland has the highest percentage of HIV infected people with 26% in 2009.
- More than half of new infections are among those under 25 years of age.
- Today, one African out of 12 is carrying the virus and/or sick.
- About 33.4 million living with HIV and 2 million deaths with aids.
- Everyday 11,000 Africans get infected and 6,000 die from it.
Treatment in Africa
- Less than half of the people living with AIDS in Africa are getting the treatment they need.
Symtoms of HIV/AIDS
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Sore Throat and Headaches
- Skin Rash
- Weight Loss
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Night Sweats