AIDS Treatment and Eradication Scaling New Heights

Global awareness about AIDS has been the motto for several health organizations world over. This has not only helped prevent the disease from spreading like wild fire, but has also helped make the life of the victims a little bit better.

The advent of antiretroviral drugs for HIV (AIDS vaccines), coupled with continuing awareness programs, has doubled the number of people tested for HIV/ AIDS. This has been massively instrumental in treating the patients as well. Needless to say that this is indeed a testament to the global capability to work together on a cause.

A study from Stanford University, shows that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, has succeeded at reducing the HIV death toll by 10.5 percent in just four years. That means that they have successfully averted 1.2 million deaths in targeted nations. "We are seeing dramatic returns from our investments in global health, and going forward we must build on current successes, like the response to HIV-AIDS, and expand the reach of health services globally", said Chris Collins, the Vice President and Director of public policy at amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

Several infected mothers have successfully protected their children from getting afflicted, by taking timely medication. However, in spite of the fact, that there are more than a million people taking the drugs, which they will need to take for the rest of their life, the disease is still spreading. "2.7 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2007, the latest year for which there were estimates.", confirmed the United Nation's progress report for 2009.

African countries have seen a tremendous increase in the number of men going in for circumcision, which reduces the susceptibility that a man has to HIV by more than half. In fact, South Africa, the country which leads the world in the number of cases with HIV infection, is now leading the world with the biggest AIDS treatment program as well. The United Nations estimates, a massive number of 700,000 South Africans who have been getting the medicines. This should work as an encouragement for the rest of the world.

AIDS is known to be the most dangerous sexually transmitted disease (STD) ever. It has made the concepts of contraception, "safe sex" using condoms and abstinence more apparent and important. Several people, the world over, hope that while eradication of AIDS goes on smoothly, the new found morality remains intact. This is where I sign off! More on this issue, soon!