Biology

We live in a time of unprecedented hope for the 33.3 million people living with HIV worldwide. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) offers the promise of a full and fulfilling life. Now people living with HIV can raise their families, work and pursue their dreams. But a thief is in our midst—one that is routinely robbing people, and the countries they live in, of their futures. Every minute, three people living with HIV have their lives snatched away by tuberculosis (TB). Africa, hit hard by HIV, is also hit hard by TB. TB is the main cause of death in people living with HIV.

The primary goals of Positive Health, Dignity and Prevention are to improve the dignity, quality, and length of life of people living with HIV; which, if achieved will, in turn, have a beneficial impact on their partners, families, and communities, including reducing the likelihood of new infections.

Many countries with a high burden of HIV infection also face burgeoning epidemics of noncommunicable diseases. Similar to HIV, noncommunicable diseases are most frequent in low- and middle-income countries, and the age-adjusted death rates from noncommunicable diseases are nearly twice as high in low- and middle-income countries as in high-income countries. People living with HIV often also have high rates of noncommunicable diseases. With HIV programmes rapidly expanding, people with HIV are living longer and ageing, and are developing non-HIV-related chronic conditions similar to the rest of the population.

In Namibia, HIV-positive women are being tricked into sterilisation. Is this a country desperate to curb Aids, or just a blatant human rights violation? Marion Stevens of the Women and HIV/AIDS Gauge, Health Systems Trust, came across this recent article, which exposes the reality of what’s happening in Namibia’s state hospitals.

Barker PM, Venter F. Setting district-based annual targets for HAART and PMTCT - a first step in planning effective intervention for the HIV/AIDS epidemic. S Afr Med J. 2007 Oct;97(10):916-7.