Thursday, February 10, 2011

Blog 4- Aids in Afghanistan: stigma Hampers Fight against the Disease



Sha'Nese Jones

2/10/11
6:50 pm

Aids in Afghanistan: stigma Hampers Fight against the Disease

In Afghanistan the rates and the number of people who are infected with HIV/Aids has risen over the past decades. It’s officially said that there are 636 cases among the population of about 30 million people but it’s said that the number is actually higher than what is stated and that it is continuing to grow. Poverty and war, and a government that is dependent on others; there is a greater need to fight for more resources for HIV and Aids. The social stigma against those with the disease leaves them unidentified and unable to be accounted for. Studies say that the increase of the disease is growing within the population of injecting drug users which is around 1 million people. Many of the drug users live abroad in areas with high rates of addiction. Within Afghanistan people assume that only those who have immoral relationships are the only ones to contract the disease. The ability to get funding for programs to help with more prevention methods is limited because of the country’s abundance of other problems.

The social issues that are associated with HIV and Aids within the country and the assumption of being socially outcast seems to be one of its main problems in addressing some of the issues with the disease. I think that if there was more drug advocacy and the consequences that may result from drug use there could be a decrease in the amount of people who are affected by the disease. Different from Afghanistan there is more acceptance of those who have the disease and there are better methods of prevention within the U.S. The state of the economy and its people are factors that have an overall effect on social stigmas.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/09/aids-in-afghanistan-_n_820924.html

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