Preparing For The Future Of Hiv Aids In Africa

HIV/AIDS is a catastrophe globally but nowhere more so than in sub-Saharan Africa, which in 2008 accounted for 67 percent of cases worldwide and 91 percent of new infections. The Institute of Medicine recommends that the United States and African nations move toward a strategy of shared responsibility such that these nations are empowered to take ownership of their HIV/AIDS problem and work to solve it.

HIV/AIDS is a catastrophe globally but nowhere more so than in sub-Saharan Africa, which in 2008 accounted for 67 percent of cases worldwide and 91 percent of new infections. The Institute of Medicine recommends that the United States and African nations move toward a strategy of shared responsibility such that these nations are empowered to take ownership of their HIV/AIDS problem and work to solve it.

Across Africa, people in whom significant resources have been invested are dying prematurely from AIDS that continues to pose serious challenges to the ability of African States to maintain efficient public institutions and deliver sound policies and promote the rule of law. HIV infection patterns are continually changing; economic realities are making treatment adherence difficult and resistance to current drugs are beginning to emerge. These challenges can be faced and surmounted through better appreciation of the country-specific epidemic, use of better data for national response good governance and stronger political commitments at all levels of society. Therefore, comprehensive and enhanced response to AIDS must be at the centre of development strategies. This retrospective report presents key messages and policy recommendations formulated with a crucial role of the views of people affected and infected by AIDS.

The AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa continues to affect all facets of life throughout the subcontinent. Deaths related to AIDS have driven down the life expectancy rate of residents in Zambia, Kenya, and Uganda with far-reaching implications. This book details the current state of the AIDS epidemic in Africa and what is known about the behaviors that contribute to the transmission of the HIV infection. It lays out what research is needed and what is necessary to design more effective prevention programs.

This report presents three hypothetical case studies for how the AIDS epidemic in Africa could evolve over the next 20 years based on policy decisions taken today by African leaders and the rest of the world; and considers the factors likely to drive the future responses of African countries and the international community. The scenarios draw on the age-old tradition of story-telling, rather than using data projections, to explore the wider context of the AIDS epidemic, reflecting the complexity of the subject matter.

In Europe and America, AIDS, although terrifying in its potential and devastating to those whom it affects, is still a minority disease. In Africa the impact of AIDS is widespread and the disease has already spread largely into the heterosexual community, particularly in the economically active age groups. For a continent already weakened by drought, poverty, civil war and debt, this latest catastrophe threatens to be the most severe problem Africa has ever faced. It could result in millions of deaths not only directly from the disease but also from starvation caused by economic collapse. Forced migration and refugees could spread the disease even further, thus inducing a particularly vicious circle of debility and death.

Infectious diseases are the leading cause of death globally, particularly among children and young adults. The spread of new pathogens and the threat of antimicrobial resistance pose particular challenges in combating these diseases. Major Infectious Diseases identifies feasible, cost-effective packages of interventions and strategies across delivery platforms to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, malaria, adult febrile illness, viral hepatitis, and neglected tropical diseases. The volume emphasizes the need to effectively address emerging antimicrobial resistance, strengthen health systems, and increase access to care. The attainable goals are to reduce incidence, develop innovative approaches, and optimize existing tools in resource-constrained settings.

The essays in this collection are written to make readers (re)consider what is possible in Africa. The essays shake the tree of received wisdom and received categories, and hone in on the complexities of life under ecological and economic constraints. Yet, throughout this volume, people do not emerge as victims, but rather as inventors, engineers, scientists, planners, writers, artists, and activists, or as children, mothers, fathers, friends, or lovers – all as future-makers. It is precisely through agents such as these that Africa is futuring: rethinking, living, confronting, imagining, and relating in the light of its many emerging tomorrows.