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The HIV/AIDS Epidemic
According to UNAIDS an estimated 40 million people worldwide are currently living with HIV/AIDS and the epidemic continues to grow. Although the first clinical cases were reported only two decades ago, HIV/AIDS has spread further and faster with greater long term effects than any other disease in the history of humanity. In June 2001, the UN General Assembly held an historic Special Session dedicated to HIV/AIDS in order to address the urgency of the problem. The increase of the epidemic has raised awareness of the effects, not only on the immediate victims and their families, but also on their communities and many aspects of the larger society as well. The economic impact of the disease is undeniable. As the disease spreads, communities, individuals, and businesses are affected by rising absenteeism, increased costs for health care and other benefits, lost skills, and the constant need to recruit and train new workers. In many communities, the economic losses, weakened workforce, and social instability have been devastating. The epidemic is fueled by social and economic problems that include poverty, inequality, stigma, and misinformation. The HIV/AIDS crisis is sustained by silence, denial, and discrimination which increased education and global awareness seeks to eradicate. Although HIV/AIDS is a worldwide problem, some countries, particularly those in the developing world, have been the hardest hit with a dramatic increase in the number of reported cases each year. Of the 5 million people infected by the virus in 2003, approximately 3 million were in sub-Saharan Africa , including Rwanda. Rwanda has one of the highest HIV infection rates in central Africa , with 11.3 percent of its 8.1 million people infected. Of those who are infected, roughly 50 percent are women and about 13 percent are children under fifteen. Part of the problem in Rwanda is a direct result of the genocide which occurred in 1994. Perhaps the most devastating legacy of the genocide is the sheer number of children left on their own who are now highly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS as a result of living on the streets. Despite the overwhelming generosity of many Rwandans who took in orphans after the genocide, the AIDS epidemic continues to claim the lives of families leaving more and more children orphaned each year.
Find out more about HIV/AIDS Epidemic with these related links.
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