Though
there are many more silent killers than the HIV/AIDS, the social stigma
attached with this viral epidemic makes it a killer in the real sense. Though
not curable yet, the advances in the health science with more evolved antiretroviral
therapy has made life easier for millions of the HIV-positive people across the
world so much so that they can now maintain even the sexual contact with their
partners with proper precautions.
“Getting
to Zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero deaths from AIDS-related illness. Zero
discrimination” – is the theme of
this World AIDS Day on December 1. According to the World Health Organization (WHO),
the goal to bring 15 million HIV-infected people under the treatment regime of
the antiretroviral drugs by 2015, though a tough assignment, looks within reach
now given the latest global statistics.
Reports
say HIV and AIDS cases are witnessing a decline globally. According to the WHO
data, 2011 saw 700,000 fewer infections than ten years ago with 2.5 million new
cases and had 600,000 fewer deaths than seven years ago with the figure
touching 1.7 million.
HIV/AIDS
treatment and further research has always been a politically sensitive issue as
the current treatment regime and the further research both are highly expensive
and spread of the HIV infected people in many low-income (69 per cent of the
HIV infected are living in Sub-Saharan countries) and developing countries only
exacerbates the problem. Midst the due-diligence of the global geo-economic
concerns, these countries look for support of the developed world economies and
global institutions like the UN or the WHO to meet with the required treatment
norms.
The
good thing is, in spite of the all the politicking and global geopolitical game
over the funding issue, the progress is trickling down.
Up
from 0.4 million people in low- and middle-income countries accessing the
treatment in 2003, the figure has seen an impressive jump to 8 million such
people now. In words of Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of the World Health
Organization’s HIV Department, “Many countries are facing economic
difficulties, yet most are managing to continue expansion of access to
antiretroviral medicines”.
But
the equally bugging problem is the mindset change that must see a simultaneous
evolutionary curve as the related health-science advances to achieve some
significant development in the real terms.
The
2011 World AIDS Day theme completes with ‘Zero Discrimination’ tag but ‘Getting
to Zero’ is not possible without effectively handling the social stigma
attached with the HIV/AIDS. ‘Confidentiality’ of the HIV-infected person
and the treatment he is getting is one of the five key components or the ‘5 Cs’
as defined by the WHO, ‘Consent’, ‘Counselling’, ‘Correct test results’ and ‘Connection/linkage
to prevention, care and treatment’ being the others.
The
sole reason behind this ‘C’ of confidentiality is the social stigma attached.
Apart from the virus and financial problems, the social apathy, too, kills many
more HIV-infected people.
Like
every other health problem, if the HIV-infected people, too, are taken into the
mainstream and given a holistic environment of medical and emotional care,
every HIV target would be much easier to scale and achieve. Countries across the world need to plan and
think large scale social interventions and mobilizations and now is the time.