For you to know how scary the epidemic of HIV/AIDS is in Africa, let us check some facts. The United Nations Programme on HIV/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (UNAIDS) in September 2018 estimated that out of the 36.9 million people globally living with HIV in 2018, 66% live in Sub-Saharan Africa and 15 million of this reported stat are already dead.
HIV/AIDS has raised death rates and reduced life expectancy of adults by about 20 years in many parts of Africa ― most of these areas now have a life expectancy of thirty-four years.
How Africa Can Tackle HIV/AIDS epidemic
Early Diagnoses
According to UNAIDS, the first step for Africa citizens to know their status. With the implementation and effectiveness of a program that offers free testing across communities in Africa, 90% of people living with HIV would have been diagnosed by 2020. HIV/AIDS positive patients should be placed on antiretrovirals (AVR) drugs and assigned an HIV/AIDS counsellor to help day in living with the disease and better adapting to their community.
Affordable AVR Medication
Affordable AVR medication will give HIV/AIDS epidemic a blow if embraced by governments at all levels. Take, for instance, South Africa which holds the record population of HIV/AIDS victims has made a great improvement when it comes to access to treatment and encouraging early diagnoses. According to figures released by South Africa’s Statistician-General, Risenga Maluleke, although the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country has increased by 13.1 percent, more people can now live with the disease, thanks to the availability of AVR medication.
Strong Laws Against Early Child Marriage
Africa is one of the destinations of early child marriage in the world. There is a high probability that the men these young girls will be getting married to are already infected. According to UNICEF, young ladies are more susceptible to this infection with adolescent girls and young women representing 25% of new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa and young adult and women representing 56% of infections.
Replacing early child marriage with girl-child education is a sure way Africa can help reduce the epidemic.
Advocation of Prevention Method
Prevention methods should be advocated especially amongst youth which is the major carrier of the virus. Aside from the encouragement of condom during sex, voluntary medical male circumcision, and affordable antenatal care services to prevent mother-child transmission amidst other sustainable prevention methods should be encouraged.
Generation of Internal Revenue
Tackling HIV/AIDS in Africa will require funds, the government should look more inwards in generating funds to combat this deadly virus as over-reliance on external funds tends to be unsustainable. Zimbabwe in an effort to generate income, created HIV/AIDS tax while the Rwandan government introduced an integrated HIV service into its national social insurance scheme allowing free treatment services for those living with HIV.
A collective collaboration between the civic organization and government cum targeted policies and responsive leadership will be crucial in sustaining the progress in halting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa and meeting UN global targets.
