Community Based Strategic Plan to Curb Spread of Hiv/aids
Community based strategic plan
to curb spread of HIV/AIDS
Anirudha Alam
Curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS is a human rights issue. A commitment to solidarity, hope and compassion promotes comprehensive campaign as for HIV/AIDS prevention. It may result in a holistic effort to strengthen community based network through advocacy, capacity building and behavioral change communication (BCC). Having no minimal amenities, community people are led to vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS enormously. They are mostly disadvantaged due to having no access to basic rights. If there is any community based common plan in support of the local response to HIV epidemic the reasons of vulnerability may be removed gradually and effectively.
Community based strategic plan to address HIV/AIDS should be outlined to prevent escalation of epidemic through action research in ways that recognize human rights and self-respect. In this aspect, it is greatly essential to organize social mobilization and accelerate support form local stakeholders and development partners involved in the community based response to HIV. There is no doubt that community based approach is a fundamental mechanism to stimulate the local contribution to deal with HIV/AIDS. To gather maximum support for community based efforts on HIV/AIDS, at first programs have to emphasize on coming in close contact with the local people. This is the effective means to be familiar with the values and perception of local people. Then they will be made to understand and perform the desired responsibility in response to HIV/AIDS.
Community based strategic plan encompassing local expertise and constructive commitment should be initiated to subvert the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the light of national HIV policy framework and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It would allow a profound and greater understanding of the nature of epidemic, its spread and eventuality.
According to UNAIDS estimates, over half of new HIV infections are occurring among young people (15-24 years) – or over 7,000 new infections a day worldwide. Around 95% of people with HIV/AIDS live in the communities of developing countries. Nowadays HIV is a common threat to men, women and children in all communities throughout the world. The challenges in responding to HIV/AIDS may vary enormously from community to community owing to geographical location, livelihood status, social infrastructure and so on. Cross border movement, women trafficking, neighboring to high prevalent communities, gaps in health care delivery, low levels of HIV/AIDS awareness and sexual bondage because of poverty make the communities vulnerable affecting public health systems. To combat this vulnerability with regard to HIV/AIDS, there is no single solution. But integrated community approach may play an influential role to protect from sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This is why adopting a gender sensitive and human rights based approach, community oriented strategic plan will be well-equipped and groomed with a wide range of local stakeholders’ support and participation to address HIV/AIDS. Side by side community people will be efficient to discuss and develop norms, values and practice as to safe sexual behavior.
Community focused strategic plan for HIV/AIDS has to be based on the reality of the epidemic engendered from thorough case studies. The prevalence of HIV may remain low in communities. But there are some considerable factors that can play vital role to fuel its rapid spread extensively. Polygamy, dowry, gender violence & discrimination, believes in superstitions as well as lack of safe health practice may kindle the spread of HIV/AIDS. If the awareness is not shaped fruitfully community wise, all of the programs to undermine the spread of HIV/AIDS will be failed. For instance, HIV/AIDS prevalence was low for many years in Indonesia even with lots of risky behavior. But in the past two or three years, the circumstances have been changed. At present, HIV/AIDS prevalence is growing severely in several communities of the country.
At last we may infer that any kind of community based strategic plan should be comprehensive, consistent, coordinated, constructive, consequence oriented and above all committed to community exclusively. Capitalizing on these key characteristics indicated by six C’s, it will be possible to attain a high watermark of success to combat skyrocketing vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
Anirudha Alam
Deputy Director
(Information & Development Communication)
BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services)
183, Lane 2, Eastern Road, New DOHS
Mohakhali, Dhaka 1206
Bangladesh.
Phone: 8801718342876, 88029889732, 88029889733 (office), 88028050514 (res.)
E-mail: anirudha.alam@gmail.com,
info@bees-bd.org, bees@worldnetbd.net
website: www.bees-bd.org
Ref: UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNISEF
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? ? ? HIV ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?I flew to Bolivia during May. The 21st, I decided to enjoy my birthday and go to a high class bar. I had intercourse with a sex worker from that place. While having intercourse, she realized the condom broke and I finished myself off. This was vaginal intercourse and did about 4 positions. Afterwards, I wasn't really scared. But now, am SUPER worried. My health status before this incident has been 100% healthy. But recently, my testicles seem warm, the tip of my penus is red, and it seems like I have some clear discharge. While my stay in Bolivia, I recall I was sick most of my stay. After the few days I arrived, I had diarrhea and felt weird. After the intercourse I woke up the next day and developed a sore throat. I started feeling tired and slept allot. This is also when my symptoms of an STD started to appear.
I went to Planned Parenthood, and the nurse practitioner thinks I might have Chlamydia. Am waiting for my exams for Chlamydia, Syphilis, and Gonorrhea. All though I haven't been worrying much, my recent arrival to the US has been different. I worry if I might have HIV. I feel sick right now, I feel warmer than usual, sore throat, and my lymph nodes below my jaw seem swollen. My questions is could this be the ARS symptoms or just the change my body has gone through from USA to Bolivia. I want to get tested for HIV, but the waiting time is killing me. Am thinking about getting tested at 6, 8, and 12 weeks. Really, what are my chances of getting HIV?
Please, no dumb comments. I don't know what to do right now. I never expected for this to occur during my summer. Am just really worried. If I had HIV, Would I tell my parents? How would I pay for the medication? What would I do with my university studies?
If you want to talk to me my e-mail is mielita360@hotmail.com
About Author
Anirudha Alam is a prominent AIDS researcher and working in a national NGO BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services) as a Deputy Director (Information & Development Communication). He writes and edits more than forty books and a good number of articles on various issues like women empowerment, human rights, education awareness, social development, income generating activities, environment awareness, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS awareness, juvenile literature, short stories and so on. His noteworthy books are Kulsums and Karims (a collection of success stories of disadvantaged people of Bangladesh), Kulsums (a collection of success stories of disadvantaged & destitute women of Bangladesh), The Reflections (a collection of posters on literacy & education of Bangladesh), Towards a New Hope, Social Assistance Message Collection, Social Assistance Advocacy Manual, Eaisab Rat Din (a collection of juvenile poems), Du Sha Bachharer Sera Bangla Kishor Galapa (a collection of juvenile Bengali stories of two hundred years) etc.
Your health is more important than if you get permanent residence, though they should not care and grant it i am not sure as i do not know much about
australia . If you need someone to talk to you can email from my profile or you can email me at morbidchick@ cox.net. If you do not know much about hiv email me and i will send you a report i have on hiv and aids. Good luck. Remember even if you are postive you are still a normal person. You know what ill most some of the report here. Hope this helps!
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus (a member of the retrovirus family) that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. Previous names for the virus include human T-lymphotropic virus-III (HTLV-III), lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV), and AIDS-associated retrovirus (ARV).
Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. The four major routes of transmission are unprotected sexual intercourse, contaminated needles, breast milk, and transmission from an infected mother to her baby at birth. Screening of blood products for HIV has largely eliminated transmission through blood transfusions or infected blood products in the developed world.
HIV infection in humans is now pandemic. As of January 2006, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized on December 1, 1981. It is estimated that about 0.6 percent of the world's population is infected with HIV. In 2005 alone, AIDS claimed an estimated 2.4–3.3 million lives, of which more than 570,000 were children. A third of these deaths are occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, retarding economic growth and increasing poverty. According to current estimates, HIV is set to infect 90 million people in Africa, resulting in a minimum estimate of 18 million orphans. Antiretroviral treatment reduces both the mortality and the morbidity of HIV infection, but routine access to antiretroviral medication is not available in all countries.
HIV primarily infects vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through three main mechanisms: firstly, direct viral killing of infected cells; secondly, increased rates of apoptosis in infected cells; and thirdly, killing of infected CD4+ T cells by CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections.
Eventually most HIV-infected individuals develop AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). These individuals mostly die from opportunistic infections or malignancies associated with the progressive failure of the immune system. Without treatment, about 9 out of every 10 persons with HIV will progress to AIDS after 10-15 years. Many progress much sooner.Treatment with anti-retrovirals increases the life expectancy of people infected with HIV. Even after HIV has progressed to diagnosable AIDS, the average survival time with antiretroviral therapy (as of 2005) is estimated to be more than 5 years. Without antiretroviral therapy, death normally occurs within a year. It is hoped that current and future treatments may allow HIV-infected individuals to achieve a life expectancy approaching that of the general public.