The Aids Crisis in Haiti essay

METHODS USED TO DIAGNOSE AIDS

            There are several methods to diagnose AIDS. The most common methods to diagnose the HIV virus that causes AIDS are blood tests which “look for antibodies to the virus that are present in the blood of infected individuals” (AIDS Diagnosis). Those people who are exposed to the HIV virus should get tested as soon as possible. It is known that early testing is very important for the HIP-positive patients as they should be given a specially developed treatment plan to help them fight HIV and further complications. Besides, early testing also can help to avoid high-risk behavior of the HIV-positive patients which can spread the HIV virus to other people. The major tests for diagnosing HIV/AIDs are ELISA test, Saliva tests, Viral load tests, and Western blot. Home tests can be used by all citizens as they are sold in the pharmacies and they are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (AIDS Diagnosis).

            TREATMENT

            It is found that today there is no cure for AIDS on our planet, but there are many medications that are rather effective in fighting HIV virus and its severe complications. Treatments are specially designed to reduce HIV in the human body, keep the patient’s immune system healthy and help to decrease some possible complications. The following drugs are effectively used in all countries of the world as they help to interrupt the HIV virus from its duplicating and help to slow the intensive spread of HIV virus in the human body. They include: Abacavir, Lamivudine, Didanosine, Emtricitabine,  Stavudine, Tenofovir, Zalcitabine  and Zidovudine, etc. (Aids Diagnosis). Some other medications to fight AIDS include fusion inhibitors which are included in a new class of drugs against HIV virus and Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) which is known as “anti-HIV cocktail”. Fusion inhibitors prevent the HIV virus from fusing and replicating inside the cell. This group of drugs includes Enfuvirtide and other medications. HAART is an effective combination of three or more drugs, including protease inhibitors. This treatment is considered to be highly effective as it helps to slow the spread to HIV virus in the human body and reduces the rate at which the virus can replicate. The major goal of HAART is to reduce the amount of HIV virus in the body, or the so-called viral load, to the lowest level (Aids Diagnosis).

THE STATISTICS ON THE EFFECT THE DISEASE HAS HAD ON THE HAITIAN POPULATION

The statistics of 2010 on the effect the disease has had on the Haitian population shows the following figures: about 120,000 Haitians were infected with the HIV virus. It is found that the treatments were “delivered in a timely fashion, but given the current chaotic atmosphere presently in Haiti” (HIV/AIDS in Haiti ). It is also found that over 7,500 Haitians die from severe AIDS-related complications each year. According to the statistical data represented by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), “infection rates have been falling in Haiti in the last few years” (Chelala). Moreover, it is found that the infection rates have been falling rather slowly in rural areas, but the experts find progress in fighting the HIV virus in such a poor country as Haiti. Besides, the statistics shows that the percentage of pregnant HIV-positive women “has declined by half over the last ten years” (Chelala).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, it is necessary to say that the HIV virus which causes AIDS is extremely dangerous. In Haiti, the number of HIV-positive patients is the largest, however there is obvious progress in the treatment methods against this disease. The treatment methods are rather effective as they help to interrupt the virus from duplicating. Today there are many different methods to diagnose HIV/AIDS and the effective treatment plans help to support immune system and reduce possible complications.