Reflection and Thoughts

Global issues have an impact on everyone in some way-

In my opinion, I agree that everyone is affected in one way or another. With HIV/AIDS in Africa, if someone is HIV positive and share needles/blades, has unprotected sex, with someone outside the country, that person can spread it anywhere around the world. Once that happens, anyone can be affect around the world. Not only can they be affected, by getting HIV/AIDS, but many people around the world might know people who donate to an organization that gives to HIV/AIDS in South Africa, or volunteers in Africa, etc. Everyone is impacted, when there is a global issue.  

Everyone is capable of contributing to positive change-

I absolutely agree with this statement. Everyone can make a difference for any cause they want, wherever the cause may be located. People in anywhere in the world can donate money, supplies or volunteer, to make a positive change for HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

Small actions can bring about big change-

My thoughts on this, is that a combined amount of small actions can bring a big change. For an example, just one person who donates money cannot make a major difference with the situation, in South Africa. The only way we can make a difference, for any issue, is when we work together and do small actions, but those small actions combined together is large. When that happens, we can make a big change.

Global and Local issues require a logical, problem solving approach-

I think this statement is very true. You need to think of something, that will help a local or global issue, that will help and make sense. If it is not logical for you to do something, that you think will help, it will not make a difference. You need a logical way to solve local and global issues.

Who should be responsible for finding a solution to this issue-government, corporations, individuals?

I think everybody is responsible for finding a solution for HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Governments can help by starting a national plan that finds a solution. Corporations around the world can easily tell everybody about the situation in South Africa and partner with other organizations that donate to help HIV/AIDS. Also, individuals can help by telling everybody about the situation, donating, etc.

Globally, have things change for the better or remained the same over the past few decades?-

I think the issues of HIV/AIDS, in general, has improved. It is not a crime to have HIV/AIDS, in places around the world, there is treatment, and people are talking about it. HIV/AIDS has come a long way, from when it started to spread in the 80’s. There is still lots of work to be done, in places like South Africa. Globally, things have changed for the better with HIV/AIDS.

 

Global Citizen

With technology and media today, we can find information about world events, that are happening right now. With the new technology, people have discovered that there are many human rights being violated, countries with conflict, etc. We now, as a global citizen, can help put a stop to that and are able to make the world a better place.

You might be thinking, “what is a global citizen?”. Well, a global citizen is someone who thinks they are apart of a world community and their actions can contribute to helping the world community.  It is important to be a global citizen because when people around the world, unite, they can make a change for the better. For example, people around the world have come together to help the world become equal, have freedom of choice, and making the people happy. We have done this by protecting people’s human rights, environmental protection, freedom of religion, gender equity, etc.

When people around the world, become a global citizen, they take a stand with others. With so many people in our world, when we stand together, we can make a major difference in our world, for the better.

In the pursuit of improving the world, being a global citizen and being the change we want to see in the world will make more of an impact than anything else.

What YOU can do to HELP

After reading through my previous blog posts, you might be thinking, “What can I do to help?”. I know I was thinking like that when I was writing! There are many ways which you, wherever live, can do.

An organization delivering supplies in Africa.

One major way to help is to donate! Many countries have a fund that people can donate to, where the money goes toward HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Not only can you donate to a government fund, you can donate to a Non-Government Organization(NGO). The money you give to NGOs go toward many different things, depending on what NGO you donate to. The money can go to supplies like medicine, tools, technology, food, education resources ,etc.. Even if you donate just a little amount, the money will still be making a difference.

One way to help, from where you live, is to start a fundraiser to make money to donate to HIV/AIDS in Africa and get awareness to other people in your community. You can do anything for a fundraiser, like a car wash, pledges, selling a product, etc. Even if you don’t make lots of money fundraising, you will still be getting people aware of the situation in Africa in your town!

A volunteer talking to children in Africa.

Also, a big way to make a difference, is to volunteer with any organization that goes to Africa and helps people living with HIV/AIDS. When you volunteer with an organization that goes to Africa, you can be helping the people in many ways. You can help them by bringing medical supplies, food, shelter supplies, and compassion for people. If you can go on one of these trips, you will be affecting people positively in South Africa, and it will probably change your life, too.

There are also another way of helping, is buying products that have partnered with a company called RED. RED partners with major companies, like Starbucks or Apple, so when you buy certain products, a percentage of the price is donated to help HIV/AIDS in Africa. This company has raised over 315 million dollars to fighting HIV/AIDS, in Africa. An example of how this works, I am going to use Starbucks. Starbucks has created a card, called the red card, and whenever you buy a drink or food, five cents is donated to RED. It is as easy as that. You can do that with any company RED has partner with. If you want to learn more, here is the link:http://www.red.org/en/learn/partners.

There are so many ways you can help people in Africa, from the comfort of home! Even if it is just buying a Starbucks drink or going to Africa to volunteer and help there. Every little effort helps!

Challenges and Contributors

In 2001, there was an estimate of 23.5 million people, living in Sub-Saharan Africa, that had HIV/AIDS.  There is a gigantic number of men, women and children that still need treatment. Governments, organizations and individuals have come a long way with treating HIV/AIDS, but there are still many hard challenges that we still have yet to overcome.

An family walks over an hour walk to the nearest hospital, to get treatment for HIV.

One very big challenge that affects people with HIV/AIDS is that many places, that have high number of people with HIV, are in remote areas. The people living in those remote areas can’t get the drugs, easily and when they need it. Many times, people have to take over two hour bus rides or walk to the closest hospital. The people in the remote areas, have to take time from their work to get the drugs they need. Also, the people in their village/town also know that they have HIV/AIDS, which means they could be discriminated in many ways, too.

Another challenge is drug shortages. Since there is such an overwhelming amount of people that need HIV/AIDS treatment, drug companies, shipping and health officials can’t keep up with the numbers. There are trying to get millions of people, daily dosages of antiretroviral therapy(ARTs), which is very, very difficult. Many people sometimes can go weeks and months before they can get their next dose of the necessary drug, which brings up another challenge.

With the drug shortage, people are going long periods without taking the ART drugs. When this happens, your body can develops resistance to the ART drugs. When this starts to happen, the ART drugs stops working and there is no more treatment to help the person to prevent HIV turning into AIDS.  Once AIDS settles in, your immune system starts to shut down and potentially, that person will die.

A new challenge for officials, recently, is corrupt health officials. The ART drugs are supposed to be free to people taking them, with HIV, in Sub-Saharan Africa. Some health officials have started to steal the vital drugs and have been selling them to patients, when they are supposed to be free. If the patients can’t afford the drug, they aren’t getting the drug, which puts them at a higher risk of getting AIDS. 

 

Even with the challenges that come with trying to help people get treatment for HIV/AIDS, there are still many people that help to make HIV/AIDS extinct.

 

One example, of someone who is helping HIV/AIDS, is NGOs, like Doctors without Borders, Red Cross, HIV for South Africa, etc. Many of the NGOs help in many different ways, such as providing doctors, nurses, volunteers to help distribute HIV/AIDS drugs and education. Others provide technology, supplies, etc. Without these NGOs, South Africa would have unthinkable amounts of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Also, another example of people who help the problem of HIV/AIDS in Africa, are government funding around the world. Many countries, like Canada and United States, have made donations, made through donations made by their country's citizens, to help get supplies and drugs to people in need.

Also, countries that support the United Nations(UN), also support the World Health Organization(WHO), too. The WHO does research on HIV/AIDS, experiments to create a cure for HIV/AIDS, and helps get people treatment, too.

A major part of solving the problem in South Africa, is individuals who have got education and put the education into practise on how to prevent HIV/AIDS. People who have learn about HIV/AIDS know how they can get and have started to use ways on how to prevent them from not getting it, too. Some ways are practising safe sex, not sharing needles, and knowing their status(HIV positive/negative). Those people are what are helping the number of people transmitting HIV in South Africa go down.

There is a big amount of people helping the issue, but there is also a large amount of people that are making the problem worse, too.

There are individuals, who even after getting educating or maybe have no education on HIV, still don’t practise safe sex. Sex is one of the biggest way people can get HIV. Not practising safe sex, puts people at a higher risk of getting HIV and transmitting it to other people.  Also, people who share needles, blades, etc.,  help spread the risk of being infected with HIV.

The stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS in South Africa, does not help the situation, either. People living with HIV/AIDS are being discriminating in South Africa, from being forced to move from their town, not getting jobs, etc. Also, with the stigma, people can’t get education about HIV/AIDS and how it is transmitted and can be treated. The stigma is allowing more people getting infected with HIV. Also, it is not letting people get treatment for HIV, because they are afraid of people finding out that they have HIV. The stigma is allowing more people, all over the world, get infected and infecting other with HIV, which does not help the situation in South Africa.

 

Organizations and Canada's Role

Since there is such a high rate of HIV and AIDS in South Africa, there are many organization that are working together to help the people who are already infected with HIV/AIDS and to teach people how to prevent them from getting infected. In 2012, there was a estimated global funding of 19.1 billion dollars for programmes in low or middle income countries. Out of the global funding, 47 percent of the funding went to South Africa programmes.

One major organization, that helps fight HIV in Africa, is the World Health Organization(WHO).  The WHO has created an organization that aims to get people cost efficient prevention, care, treatment and support for people that have HIV.  They are able to do this by giving suggestions and tools to government people with prevention and control effects for HIV. They also provide technical support to help with management system, laboratory services, and strengthen surveillance, monitoring and evaluating patients. Besides providing supplies, the WHO program, does research on HIV/AIDS while they are helping people with HIV and AIDS.   

Another big organization is the USAID-HIV/AIDS, which stands for the U.S Agency for International Development. This group funds a gigantic amount of public health interventions that targets HIV and AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. USAID has partnered with a $15 billion President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The USAID has relief programs in numerous countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

  

There is also a organization called Regional AIDS Initiative Southern Africa(RAISA). This organization is a four year plan, that branched from another organization, called VSO, that helps people that have AIDS, all over the world. The goal is to strengthen the response to HIV and AIDS in South Africa. It partners with the government and civil society organisations to help provide effective treatment and care for people affected by HIV and AIDS.

This is just an example of what the CIDA money goes towards. This is just a small part of the mobile clinics, that are part of the programs that the CIDA money funds. These clinics have places where you can seek treatment, care, and education about HIV/AIDS.

 

 

There is also a Canadian organization, that helps people with HIV and AIDS in Africa. The organization's name is Canadian International Development Agency(CIDA)-HIV/AIDS in Africa. The organization has, over five years, sent over $90 million to programs to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.   

 

 

Not only does Canada have an organization, but it also has a HIV/AIDS Response Fund set up by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development. This Fund aims to help with the reduction of HIV/AIDS incidence and prevalence and help the people of South Africa. In March 2012, this fund has provided funding for 22 projects that are in vital areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. Due to this Canadian Fund, many of the projects are able to increase their capacity of patients.

Another way Canada help Africa, is that it signed a general agreement on development cooperation. This agreement is that Africa works on working to get a better public health service, with the help of Canada. Canada also helps to support Africa’s HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan.

There are many organizations that aim to help people with HIV/AIDS in Africa. If you Google “HIV/AIDS in South Africa organization”, a whole list of different organization will pop up. Many have a place where you can donate money, that would help the organization get the supplies they need in Africa. If you feel like donating, please donate! Many people in South Africa, still need help!

Background Information

 
First thing you need to know about HIV and AIDS, is the difference between them.  HIV is a virus which can cause an infection that can be transmitted. AIDS, which stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, is a syndrome that affects your immune system. Many people use HIV and AIDS interchangeably because HIV can lead into AIDS. Once the HIV virus has damage your immune system, AIDS starts to develop.  HIV can be spread by unprotected sex, sharing needles, childbirth and breastfeeding, or blood transfusion.  

The worst epidemic outbreak of HIV/AIDS, in the world, is in Sub-Saharan Africa. Officials think that there is an estimate of 25 million people living with HIV, in Africa, which is about 70 percent of the global total of people living with HIV. There are many steps that health organizations, governments and individuals are taking, such as making a National Strategic Plan(NSP) for fighting HIV/AIDS or just practising safe sex. In the NSP plan, it includes getting antiretroviral drugs to everyone that needs it. The drug isn’t a cure but helps the patient’s immune system.  They’re also trying to educate people on how HIV is spread and how to protect yourself from getting HIV.  It took a long time to set up help options and information, in Africa, for people who have HIV/AIDS or to prevent getting the virus.

Areas that have the largest population, in Africa, that are affected with HIV between 15-49 of age.

 Many people don’t know that HIV actually originated in Africa, from a group of chimpanzees! There was a ten year study, to find where HIV came from. Researchers believe that the HIV strand was first transferred to humans, in 1930. The HIV strand moved fast and infected 2000 people in Africa, by 1960. It wasn’t until 1970, that the HIV/AIDS epidemic started. The HIV gained a fast transmitting rate and was spread quickly.

The 1980’s was big decade for HIV/AIDS. Doctors started to see a massive increase in a locally known disease called “slim disease”.  They then soon discovered the “slime disease” had the same symptoms as AIDS and doctors realized the connection. What locals were calling “slime disease” was actually HIV. Clinics started to do trials to find transmission patterns and risks, and find information about HIV.

There was lots of stigma around HIV in the 80’s. There wasn’t many answer about HIV so people started to think they could get it just by eating an apple or touching a certain person.  Since no one really knew much about HIV/AIDS, people were not aware if they were infected until the last stages of AIDS and those people often died soon after their diagnosis.

Since no one had come up with a cure for HIV/AIDS yet, the African government started to focus on preventing HIV, in the mid 1980’s. They started to encourage people to rethink their sexual behaviour, think about abstaining and started to educate people on how to have safe sex.  Also, in 1987, Uganda’s government started to build a five year plan that would work with the World Health Organization(WHO) to help prevent the spreading of HIV. Other governments, weren’t so happy about HIV/AIDS. The president of Congo banned the press from saying anything about HIV/AIDS for four years, from 1983 to 1987. Also, Zimbabwean doctors were told not to mention AIDS on death certificates for many years.  

The 1990’s were different from the 80’s. People were trying to fight against HIV/AIDS and started  getting more people help that were infected with HIV and AIDS. The WHO quickly started an action plan that’s goal was to raise 1.5 billion every year by the end of the decade to help prevention and get people educated on HIV.

By 2005, there was 810,000 people receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS. According to an UNAIDS report, that 17 percent of the people who were in need of lifesaving drugs, called antiretroviral, were getting the vital drug. This number then increased 42 percent, by 2008. There also was a change of behaviour in parts of Africa, in Kenya and Zimbabwe. People started to practised safe sex, reduced the number of casual sex partners, e.t.c. This behaviour trend has help decline HIV in some parts of Africa.

Today, HIV/AIDS is still a major problem in Africa. Africa has come a long way with ways of treating people living with HIV and AIDS.