AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is a disease in which your body’s immune system loses its ability to fight infection. AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV, human immunodeficiency virus. The virus is spread through sexual contact. Viruses cannot be treated with antibiotics. The prevalence of this disease is becoming more and more common. Viruses are typically left for your body to fight on its own, due to the inability of antibiotics to cure it. However, because AIDS is an immunodeficiency syndrome, it makes your immune system unable to fight infection and thus, the immune system is unable to fight away the virus. AIDS has shown up throughout the world. More than 65 million people have been infected with HIV and more than 25 million people have died of AIDS (The General Assembly, 2006). Many people do not know that they are infected with AIDS, due to the possible lack of symptoms, and are continuing to spread it blindly. The AIDS epidemic is threatening development, social, and political stability, food security and life expectancy, imposing an economic burden. UNAIDS is a branch of the United Nations that is dedicated to the eradication of AIDS. UNAIDS is working to reduce the prevalence of new infections and protect future generations from acquiring AIDS (UNAIDS, 2016). If they are successful, the burden caused by AIDS will be lifted.
It has been argued that lack of access to proper healthcare is the cause of the AIDS epidemic, and if that problem can be solved, then AIDS is not the real issue. However, it has been estimated that of all the HIV infected individuals in the United States of America, approximately 14% are unaware of their infection, and only 19%-30% are virally suppressed (Gisslen, 2016). The United States is one of the leading nations in the country. Lack of access to proper healthcare is not a problem in the United States, but still the number of AIDS cases in the United States are high. AIDS can remain asymptomatic for a number of years. During the first few months of being infected you will not be able to be diagnosed by a physician. It take a few months for your body to start making anti-HIV antibodies, and until this happens, AIDS can not be diagnosed. This continues to fight the ‘lack of access to proper healthcare’ theme. Bacterial diseases can be made a claim for that case, but not AIDS.
AIDS constitutes a global emergency and poses one of the most formidable challenges to the development, progress, and stability of our respective societies and the world at large, and requires an exceptional and comprehensive global response (The General Assembly, 2006). UNAIDS has created the ’90-90-90 treatment targets’ as one of their 10 targets for 2020. The 90-90-90 treatment targets aims to have 90% of people (children, adolescence, and adults) living with HIV know their status, 90% of people living with HIV who know their status receive treatment, and 90% of people on treatment suppress viral loads (UNAIDS, 2016). Sweden is the first country to achieve this. The Public Health Agency of Sweden has recently estimated that 90% of those in Sweden infected with HIV have been diagnosed, so that less then 8,000 individuals are now living with HIV in Sweden. 99.8% of patients diagnosed with HIV during 2014 were linked to HIV care (Gisslen, 2016).
UNAIDS is the United Nations branch dedicated to eradication of AIDS. UNAIDS has partnered with “the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations, people living with HIV and vulnerable groups, medical, scientific and educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, the business sector, including generic and research-based pharmaceutical companies, trade unions, the media, parliamentarians, foundations, community organizations, faith based organizations and traditional leaders (The General Assembly, 2006).” UNAIDS dedicated themselves to work hand-in-hand with the Global Fund and PEPFAR. PEPFAR stands for The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. A new address has been released that states their current plan for accelerating AIDS epidemic control. Their plan is “first, to maintain life-saving treatment for those we currently support, while making essential services like testing linked to treatment more accessible. Second, to provide even more services for orphans and vulnerable children – those who are immediately and permanently affected when a parent or caretaker is lost to this disease. Finally, to accelerate progress toward controlling the pandemic in a subset of 13 countries, which represent the most vulnerable communities to HIV/AIDS and have the potential to achieve control by 2020 (Tillerson, 2017).” The Global Fund is a United States organization that invests money globally in order to eradicate different diseases, AIDS is included.
Countries globally are working together in this. A lot of the funding is coming through the United States global fund and through the world bank. These funds are funding antiretroviral therapy (ART) testing. Like stated previously, because HIV is a virus, antibiotics are not able to cure a patient. Other methods must be invented and tested. HIV works by incorporating its DNA into our human cells. The HIV DNA becomes intertwined with our human DNA, allowing it to replicate during the normal process of cell replication. Once HIV DNA is replicated there is now double the amount of HIV in the host’s body than there was originally. If this process is able to continue, the amount go HIV can grow exponentially in a short amount of time. In the time span of one week one strand of HIV can end up as sixty four strands. ART works by inhibiting the different enzymes needed for the HIV cells to replicate (Thompson, 2010). ART is the drug that they used in Sweden in order to achieve the 90-90-90 goals. ART was able to reduce the severity and consequences of the infection.
AIDS is most prevalent in Africa. 60% of the world’s cases of AIDS reside in Africa. The International Partnership against AIDS in Africa (IPAA) has been working under the leadership of African governments and using the resources provided by the United Nations, donors, and private business sectors in order to help relieve Africa from the AIDS epidemic. When trying to help others, it is important to be in direct communication with those in need to see what will actually be helpful to those infected. This happens in mission work a lot of the time. Missionaries often go into third world countries and build new schools and hospitals. Then the missionaries leave. The people are now left with a big, shiny and new building that they are not able to afford to maintain, they do not have the electricity to keep it running, and they have no knowledge of how to staff the place. The hospital becomes pointless when there is no doctors or nurses to help any potential patients. That is why is important to be in contact with the country and patients that are being helped. Ask them directly what their needs are. The IPAA is doing that by working under African governments. The African governments are not able to solve the problem on their own due to lack of resources and knowledge. However, only the African government is able to provide an account of what the situation is actually like. In December 2012, 7.6 million people were receiving ART in Africa (UNAIDS, 2012).
The most efficient plans in an environment are created when different perspectives are able to be combined. UNAIDS is the biggest, most well known, organization working toward reducing the prevalence of AIDS. The United Nations was created to ensure peace and security globally. They ar
e able to accomplish this goal by having over 150 nations join the United Nations. When there is an international problem to be discussed, each country comes to the table with their own vested interests and priorities. If one country was in charge of making a decision, they would choose the solution that benefitted themselves the most. Having over 150 nations, and thus over 150 perspectives makes the decision as pleasing as possible to the majority. That makes the United Nations AIDS effort, UNAIDS, more reliable.
It is important that UNAIDS has decided to reach out to "intergovernmental organizations, people living with HIV and vulnerable groups, medical, scientific and educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, the business sector, including generic and research-based pharmaceutical companies, trade unions, the media, parliamentarians, foundations, community organizations, faith based organizations and traditional leaders (The General Assembly, 2006).” The following interrelationships are important because:
Intergovernmental organizations- These groups are made up of many governments. They bring different wants, needs, perspectives, and thoughts to be addressed concerning their nation’s needs regarding AIDS.
People living with HIV and vulnerable groups- These groups are those being directly impacted by AIDS. It is important to know what will make them feel the most relieved and able to avoid AIDS in the future generations. Included in this group is the IPAA.
Medical- Medical professionals are able to know how AIDS is contracted and how it spreads throughout the body. Medical professionals can suggest the best form of treatment and prevention. Included here is the public health agency of Sweden.
Scientific and educational institutions- Research groups are testing different methods to cure AIDS. Since AIDS cannot be cured by antibiotics, it is the scientific community that needs to come up with a solution. It is this group that has recently created ART.
Non-governmental organizations- NGO’s are non-profited volunteer groups. The people in this group really have a heart for AIDS. They use their free time to help and receive no reward for doing so.
Without outlining every partner the United Nations paired with, it is easy to see the trend. Every group is able to provide something different in battling the AIDS epidemic. It would not be a wicked problem if there was an easy solution. The United Nations has created a strategy called ‘On the Fast-Track to end AIDS.’ UNAIDS has developed the 90-90-90 treatment plan. Rex Tillerson, the United States Secretary of State, has announced a strategy fro accelerating AIDS Epidemic Control. Sweden has taken action and was the first country to achieve the 90-90-90 goals. Africa has tested ART treatment. The combination of these programs and nations have reduced the number of AIDS cases. Hopefully a permanent cure can be found and AIDS will no longer be able to be contracted.