HIV is an acronym for human immune deficiency virus. When this virus infects the body and leads to the lowering of the activity of the immune system and this condition is called AIDS which mean acquired immune deficiency syndrome (Ramone Johnson, 1981). America, at a first world country has a stable and well developed economy. This implies that they have resources for research and manufacture of medicine to treat this condition. It has a stable social political environment and can provide home based care to the affected individuals.
After individuals have been counseled they undergo the testing of HIV, then they are given free drugs if infected. As a free democracy, there has also been a widespread campaign by the politicians and policy makers on the cause and effect of aids. Some politicians have even tested for the disease in public showing people the need of knowing ones status in order to seek early treatment. The government has channeled more funds for use in educating the public on preventive methods and measures like campaigning on the use of condoms, avoiding risky behavior and abstinence. There is increased awareness on the diseases in the society.
People are educated on the causes of HIV and how they can avoid indulging in risky behavior like having sex when drunk (SOS Childrens Villages, Feb 2007) Unfortunately, things look gloomier in a third world developing country like Zimbabwe. When the disease was first detected in Zimbabwe, the President was slow to respond to the disease and soon it became an epidemic. A fifth of the populace lives with HIV/AIDS. There is bad political and social environment that has led to the decline of the economy. When the president activated the lands reform, most families were separated.
Farmlands were vacated and this led to poor food production and increase in malnutrition. According to the Independent (17th Nov 2006) report on how Aids and starvation and AIDS condemn Zimbabwe women to an early grave” it showed that due to this displacement, most women have to work as commercial sex workers to fend for themselves and their families. It found out that separation of families led to loss of communication and therefore creation of wider sexual networks. The lawless ness that was an aftermath of these displacements led to violence that targeted mainly women and children. Women were raped, killed and injured in the process.
In this way there was a marked increase in the orphans and vulnerable children who cannot provide for themselves unless they take onto child labor and commercial sex. in a documentary done by the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC (May2006) on Zimbabwe inflation, “it showed that the inflation has reached 1000 percent”. Inflation in the country due to this economic crisis and has affected the poor majority. A report written after research was done by Tibaijuka Anne, the United Nations special envoy on human issues in Zimbabwe, researched on operation murambatswina (clean out trash) carried out by President Mugabe.
This operation demolished homes of poor people living in Harare demolished so many homes. This operation was meant to drive out trash or generally the poor people from the urban to the rural areas. More than 700,000 people were displaced of whom a tenth were people living with HIV/AIDS (New African Magazine, May 2007) This led to disruption of home based care programs and also programs that were being run to advocate prevention of the scourge. Organizations that were helping those who were living with the disease have found it hard to locate the people.
Most of them are aced with hunger since they lack income with which they can buy food. Due to the high inflation rates, the basic commodities are too expensive for anyone there is increase in population mobility and child mortality. This is because most people cannot afford the anti retro viral drugs whose prices have tripled. Increased corruption has also made the government workers to sell the drugs through private chemists at high prices. poverty has made most women to opt for commercial sex so that they can fend for their families .
T his women are illiterate and may not be having the knowledge on how a condom is used leave alone the means of accessing one . Couples have separated because they move into foreign countries where they can work. This leads to subsequent breakdown of marriages and propagation of promiscuity within the society. Also families are broken (Carole Gombakomba, July 2007) The decrease in international aid in to the country has led to increase in inflation. America has imposed sanctions which inhibit any economic development within the country.
Reduction of aid has paralyzed projects and so many programs run in the country. But the people who are hard hit are the poor and those living with the disease. Socioeconomic gaps between men and women have increased greatly. Those affected most are women more sine they are more illiterate and do not have a means of getting an income. They have a poor access to information and treatment because they are illiterate (J Gow, 2002). Most people fear to go for voluntary counseling and testing provide by PSI and the National Aids Council (NAC).
Most people fear to know their status because they fear alienation by friends loosing jobs and even partners, some fear because there are no drugs and are reluctant to know. Due to lack of awareness of this disease there are very high levels of stigmatization to those having the disease by the community. Also this PSI runs prevention of mother to child transmission program (PMTCT) gives nevirapine to mothers. There is a serious human resource crisis. Workers have fled to foreign countries and those remaining are sick or taking care of the sick this has bought so many administration problems.
Gender inequality has affected the women more since it puts them at more disadvantaged position the women are meant to have only one partner while the men can have multiple sexual partner’s husbands. The women are also left as the only people who are solely responsible for the well being of the family. The media is suppressed on what it can report about the government. This has led to a humanitarian crisis that is taking its toll. Non- governmental organizations like PSI, ad other religious groups try to educate the youth and sexually active adults on the need to use condoms.
But some religious groups discourage the use of condoms and encourage everyone to abstain. This leaves many people confused. The media; TV, radio community based organizations have tried to pass messages on the prevention of the scourge. Community based organizations help those affected by sharing of experiences and giving each other hope and encouragement and stop stigmatization of those infected. Schools are trying to integrate the subject into the curriculum this has led to behavior change in the society. This has been done to increase awareness of the disease.
More people have seen the need of using condoms while having sex. Also more people are encouraged to have one sexual partner to curb the spread of the disease. For the case of Jose and Maria who are legal citizens of Zimbabwe, they have access to the drugs. this is achieved if they join community based organizations that run activities like dressmaking that generate income for the members in this way they can buy food and drugs. They can also get support from the National Aids council. This council has opened voluntary counseling and testing centers all over the country where they can get help.
Also there is PSI (Population Service International), the biggest NGO that distributes drugs and condoms. There are the famous “moringa” trees that are grown in Zimbabwe; they have iron, vitamins and essential salts. Its leaves are given to those having the disease because of their nutritive value. In America where they are illegal immigrants, they are supposed to be registered. Then they can get counseling and free testing. After which they are given financial support, free drugs and home based care. They are also helped to get jobs or a way of earning a living.
In America there are government run organizations and privately sponsored organizations that support people living with HIV/AIDS. Since America is a first world country, they can access the Highly Active Anti Retroviral Therapy (HAART) once registered. They can also get primary care management due to availability of resources. In Zimbabwe things are different; the access to this therapy is limited. The drugs are sold at high prices due to inflation. This therapy also needs one to take a balanced diet that is almost nonexistent in Zimbabwe due to inflation.
Primary care management in Zimbabwe because most workers in the government are sick or are taking care of their sick friends and families. Therefore there are limited human resources. There are also corrupt government officials who take the drugs and sell them at high prices (American College of Physicians, Sept 2000) Access to the HAART is a major global concern. Most countries have lost so many workers both skilled and unskilled through this disease. This is due to the unavailability of this therapy. This has led to increased poverty and the economies are becoming weaker.
The number of deaths to children and their parents has increased and more people are loosing hope in life (Mancy boyd, G Stener, 1995). As more economies become weaker, there is need for the developed countries to put in more aid both in expertise and funds. Some nations have been depopulated because of the unavailability of the drugs. According to a World Health Organization (WHO),”The World Health Report”, the life expectancy of many people has been lowered to as low as 37 years in a country like Zimbabwe.
REFERENCES
1. Ramon Johnson; The Origin of HIV and the start of AIDS; June 2005 1981 2. J.Gow; Health Affairs- The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, 2002 3. Carole Gombakomba; Zimbabwean HIV/AIDS Activist Urges Widened access to US funding; Washington 24th July 2007 4. New African Magazine; Our Cause is Africa’s Cause, Interview with President Mugabe in the New African Magazine; May 2007 5. American College Physician; ‘Cell Count, Viral Load and Clinical outcome in patients with HIV infection after Highly Active Antiretriviral Therapy, 19th Sept 2000 6. Mancy Boyd, G. Stener; Children, Families and HIV/Aids;Guilford press,1995 7. SOS Childrens Villages; Zimbabwean government urged to increase funding to school Aids orphans. 01/02/2007