On this special day of the world Aids Day, its time to reckon with reality. Truth of coming in terms with HIV & AIDS, a global concern. Its time that every human being helps himself just by being aware.
The basics :
HIV stands for a Human immunodeficiency us. It’s a virus that affects the cells of the human immune system, destroys and impairs their function. AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and is a definition based on signs, symptoms, infections, cancers associated with the deficiency of the immune system that stems from the infection with HIV. The term AIDS applies to the most advanced stage of HIV infection. The majority of people infected with HIV, if not treated develop signs of HIV related illness within 5-10 years, but the time taken between infection with HIV and being diagnosed with AIDS can be 10-15 years, sometimes longer.
How does it occur?
HIV can be passed on through infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk. The most common ways HIV is passed on are:
Sex without a condom with someone living with HIV
Sharing infected needles, syringes or other injecting drug equipment
From an HIV-positive mother (to her child) during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding (but with effective treatment and care the risk of transmission can be greatly reduced)
How can you contribute in raising awareness about AIDS?
Find out facts about HIV and talk to your friends, family and colleagues about HIV- make sure they know the reality, not the myths.
Know your HIV status: get tested if you have put yourself at risk.
Talk to all new sexual partners about using condoms. Using a condom during sex is the best way to protect yourself and your partner from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
If someone tells you they are HIV positive, treat them with respect and don’t tell others without their agreement.
Wear a red ribbon as a symbol of your support for everyone affected by HIV<>
Facts & Figures :
UNAIDS and the World Health Organization released its annual AIDS Epidemic Update on 24 November this year, indicating that 33.4 million people were living with HIV in 2008, up slightly from 2007. Overall, the data indicates that new infections have dropped 17 percent over the past eight years. Despite areas of progress, children still account for 2.1 million of people living with HIV, although the number of deaths has declined. The number of children newly infected with HIV in 2008 was roughly 18% lower than in 2001.
Experience :
My experience with a patient of AIDS came about in the year 2003, 2 years after I had first landed in Kenya. I lived in Mombasa Kenya for 5 years almost, and I crisply remember the first anecdote I would get from colleagues before I left for Kenya is how much the place is infested with people living with AIDS. Even from those who were not aware of AIDS neither tried to be aware of it. It’s a beautiful place with amazing people but it was also a place where people faced death as if it was a source of life. Death in Kenya was an everyday affair. Be it from flu or from AIDS. The socioeconomic situation in that country didn’t give many opportunities for people to avail basic needs leave apart good medication.
Mambo was a good chap, in his late 30’s. He was the cross border driver for the company I worked for. Since the companies operations stretched as far as the Mozambique through Tanzania, frequent trips were made by vehicles to assist in the operations. So he was the guy who would take, man, money and materials in to Tanzania. Help clear border formalities, etc. On a number of occasions I have traveled with him to Tanzania for work. The excellent driver he was, he was an excellent story teller, be it stories about his experiences during his drives, or stories about his native village, they would all come handy during the long 5 hour drive to Dar-es-salam, Tanzania. After all those years of working and knowing about the place, and people, I had learnt that Kenyans always shared. Almost everyone there had a shortage of money, be it for weddings or burials. People and communities always contributed, be it for a joyous occasion of be it for mourning. One fine day a similar request came to me for contributing towards medication of some employee, upon reading the details I was shocked to see Mambo’s name being written on it. Upon enquiry I found out that Mambo was no longer working in the company and was seriously ill. A thought never came in my mind about that illness being fatal. Days went by fast, and on a busy Monday morning I happened to meet Mambo at the company gate waiting anxiously to meet somebody. The sheer sight of him gave me tremors. It was a sorry sight, to look at a healthy person who you’ve known for so long and within a period of some months all the health eaten away, just bare into skin. It was like seeing a live skeleton with skin. To be frank, I didn’t have the courage to ask about his health because it was all visible. I knew he hadn’t any time left, but the mere breathe he took was because he was lucky, God maybe loved him to give him those extra moments. And then some days later he died on his way to the clinic. I was told later that he was infected with HIV.
I still recall the moment , when I saw him in that state which brings me goose bums, not for the state in which I saw him, but because in today’s world AIDS & HIV exist. And better for us to accept that fact and even better if we can spread the word of its existence, spread the word to make people aware.
Something which Karan Johar just twitted “safe sex is not just a necessity...its a responsibility... “ cannot agree more to this. Pls pass on the messege. Pls pass on the word. Be aware.
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