U.N. Reports Decrease in New H.I.V. Infections

By: Donald G. McNeil Jr.

Summary:

In the new report on epidemics, the UN reports that the number of people infected with HIV have decrease. UNaids said 2.6 million people became newly infected with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, in 2009 — almost 20 percent fewer than in the late 1990s. South Africa, which has the world’s worst epidemic, has seen progress due to a turnover in presidency, but they still see about 350,000 to 500,000 new infections annually. The progress according to UNaids is due to, giving antiviral drugs to mothers during birth and those who breastfeed so they do not pass the virus to their children; also passing condoms to citizens like in Iran, and the attitude towards gay men in countries like Senegal and Malawi. There are places in Eastern Europe and Central Asia where the rate infections are worse because of heroin-injectors and their sexual partners.

Although many people are getting educated and parents are more open to talking to their children about sex, there is still bad news when it comes to fighting the AIDS epidemic. Some people are now becoming resistant to the first line of drugs and there is not enough money to provide them with the second and third lines of drugs.

Analysis:

It is encouraging to hear that HIV infections are decreasing, even if it is slightly. HIV/AIDS is so widespread and almost every country in the world is affected by the devastation that comes with the virus. HIV/AIDS not only affect the individual, but their family, friends and the economy of that country because that less people in the workplace. Education plays an important role in the fight against this disease, and it good to hear that parents are talking to their children about sex. I think the best parents can do for their children is not to be naïve about their activities regarding sex, and to educate them, and to have an open door policy where kids feel comfortable to discuss safe sex.

It not surprising to me that some people are becoming resistant to the first line of drugs against HIV, but it is sad. Viruses are smart and their goal is to kill the helper T-cells and weaken the individual, so it’s normal that they would grow resistant. I hope that donors will continue to give so people who cannot afford drugs on their own will be able to get them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/world/africa/24infect.html?ref=health

In Rare Cases, Pope Justifies Use of Condoms

By: Rachel Donadio and Laurie Goodstein

Summary

In an interview with German journalist Peter Seewald regarding a host of issues, Pope Benedict XVI said that condoms could be use to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. This is the first exception in the Vatican ban of contraceptives. The pope did not approve the use of condoms or suggest that the Roman Catholic Church was beginning to back away from its prohibition of birth control. the one example he cited as a possibly appropriate use was by male prostitutes. The Pope justified his statement by saying that “condoms were not “a real or moral solution” to the AIDS epidemic, adding, “that can really lie only in a humanization of sexuality.” But he also said that “there may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility.” The Pope faced criticism last year when he went Africa, and he said, “Condom use did not help prevent the spread of AIDS, only abstinence and fidelity did”. The use of condoms have been a long standing issue since Pope Paul VI denounced birth control in his famous 1968 encyclical, “Humanae Vitae.” Now people are wondering if the Pope statements could help in the campaigns to fight AIDS.

Analyses:

I think that the Pope’s statement on condoms is a huge milestone for public health educators especially those in Sub-Saharan African and East Asia where the HIV/AIDS epidemic is ramped. The Roman Catholic Church has so much influence around the world, and I honestly do not comprehend why they are not partner with health educators to help in the fight against AIDS. The science has proved that the use of condoms is one of the best ways other than abstinence to prevent the spread of STIs. Yes, it is a matter of religion versus science, but there is a certain point where religion has to take a step back and let science save peoples’ lives. Why did the Pope say it would be ok for a male prostitute, so does not female prostitutes cannot urge their clients to wear a condom? What about in African countries where polygamy is practiced? This so much more than just birth control, women’s healths are at risk. Women are more susceptible to STIs and other health issues that come with being a woman. I am hoping that there will be more milestones with this pope and others to come, where birth control will be an individual health choice and not be demoralized by the church.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/world/europe/21pope.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=health

With 138 dead, official says Haiti cholera outbreak will likely worsen

Summary:

A deadly cholera outbreak is plaguing the Haitian city of Artibonite (north of the country’s capital of Port-Au-Prince), health officials say that the disease has killed 138 people in the last 48hours since the first was reported and the outbreak will get worse. More people are showing symptoms and seeking help at clinics and hospitals. One of the main Hospitals, St. Nicholas Hospital is overcrowded with patients. “Some people waited 24 hours or more to get help outside the hospital, many of them on stretchers” said Terry Snow, Haiti director for the nonprofit Youth With a Mission. After recent heavy rains area, the banks of the Artibonite river overflow and flood the area. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Cholera is caused by a bacterial infection of the intestine and, in severe cases, is characterized by diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps. In such cases, rapid loss of body fluids can lead to dehydration and shock. "Without treatment, death can occur within hours". A person can get cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the bacteria. During epidemics, the source of the contamination is often the feces of an infected person, and infections can spread rapidly in areas where there is poor sewage treatment and a lack of clean drinking water, according to the CDC.

Analysis:

It saddens me to hear that Haiti is going another through horrid event. The country is still in recovering efforts from January’s earthquake and now this. Cholera is a highly communicable disease, it only takes one infected person to soil a local water source, and the whole village could be wiped out in a matter of days. Children and elderly are especially vulnerable because of their weaken immune systems. I am very sure that these clinics and hospitals do not have enough doctors and nurses to care of all these patients in an adequate amount of time. With cholera, time is very important, because the patient will get dehydrated very quickly and they need clean fluids. With all these disasters and outbreaks, how can a developing country move forward? It is good to hear that they are receiving some humanitarian aid; some areas are getting filters to purify the water. My fear is that this outbreak will become an epidemic.

reported by: Greg Botelho
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/10/21/haiti.cholera/index.html?hpt=T2