Over the years, the level of people’s awareness about the notion of HIV/AIDS has increased dramatically, yet the health condition itself remains frowned upon and stigmatized by the global community. HIV, which stands for human immunodeficiency virus, is a virus that attacks the body immune system and destroys healthy cells that fight disease and infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). When not treated, the virus escalates and turns into AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
One of the major challenges the global community faces when dealing with HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention is the contrast between disease prevalence in different regions. Thus, while in the US, the annual number of new HIV cases decreased by 7% in 2018, such regions as Eastern and Southern Africa struggle with new HIV cases that lead to a 54% virus prevalence among the population (CDC, 2021; Kaiser Family Foundation [KFF], 2021). Moreover, in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, new infection cases increased by 72% in 2019 (KFF, 2021). For this reason, it is vital for health care delivery systems to address both people’s awareness on the ways of infection and means of treatment, as HIV/AIDS does not have an efficient cure, creating the need to define the ways in which affected people can obtain access to antiretroviral therapy.
Considering the scopes of this global health issue, it is reasonable to assume that the efforts to combat the issue comprise the contributions of various stakeholders. They include local health care departments, such global organizations as WHO, UN General Assembly, and UNAIDS, public health workers who educate their patients on regular HIV testing and infection prevention, and countless non-profit public organizations. The latter contributes a lot to the fight with HIV/AIDS, as they have the chance to communicate directly with individuals through local grants and projects and present relevant data to the state legislators who allocate financial and social resources regarding the scopes of the epidemic.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. (2021). HIV basics. Web.
Kaiser Family Foundation [KFF]. (2021). The global HIV/AIDS epidemic.Web.