Basics on HIV.

HIV - Human immunodeficiency virus, is a virus which attacks the immune system of an infected person; if left untreated it further degenerates to AIDS - acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Despite years of research, a proven effective cure hasn't yet been found for HIV, infected persons live with it for life. Infected persons can live a long healthy life if they adhere to medical advice and take proper medication.

The major ways of getting infected with HIV include, having unprotected anal or virginal sex, sharing unsterilized sharp objects, through mother - child transmission and breastfeeding.

The HIV virus is quite fragile and cannot survive for long outside the human body. Contrary to certain myths HIV cannot be transmitted via sweet, saliva or urine with a certain percentage of possibility of contacting it through oral sex.

Early diagnosis of HIV is a sure way of ensuring an infected person stays healthy. Post-exposure prophylaxis(PEP) can help  stop an exposed person from being infected if started within 72 hours of possible exposure to the virus. A negative or positive result should be confirmed within a 1 - 4 months period.

The reason for treatment of an HIV patient is to have an undetectable viral load. Since the HIV virus posses ability to be resistant to a particular antiretroviral drug, most patients take a combination of drugs as advised by their doctors which are to be taken daily.

Without treatment the immune system of the individual is attacked, giving room for various sickness to attack the body. HIV patients are encouraged to, exercise regularly, stop tobacco intake, eat healthy diets and take their medication.

Constant routine medical checks is also advised.

Enenim Ubon writes on health related matters and other contemporary issues. 

Winning the Malaria war.

Plasmodium infection commonly referred to as Malaria is a disease caused by a plasmodium parasite,  which is transmitted by the bite of infected female Anopheles  mosquitoes.

It's severity is of varying degrees based on the specie of plasmodium responsible for the infection. Five species of Plasmodium have the ability to infect humans; Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malaria, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium knowlesi.

Malaria is both preventable and curable. Early symptoms include fever, headache and general body weakness. If left untreated, malaria can progress to severe illness and death.

Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo account for half of the world's yearly malaria deaths. The more reason why efforts should be intensified in these countries to curb the number of malaria infections yearly.

While early detection is important in order to get prompt medical care, prevention through the use of vector control mechanisms is strongly advised. Indoor residual spraying and the use of insecticide treated nets; while the World Health Organisation reports antimalaria drugs resistance and Anopheles mosquitoes resistance as the threat to ending the malaria scourge, it(WHO) also urges the use artemisinin-based combination therapy(ACT) in the treatment of malaria.

The Global Malaria Program has set a target of achieving the following objectives by 2030:
- Reducing malaria case incidence by at least 90% by 2030.
- Reducing malaria mortality rates by at least 90% by 2030.
- Eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries by 2030.
- Preventing a resurgence of malaria in all countries that are malaria-free.

The global effort to eliminate deaths from malaria is an ongoing process and requires the support of government at all levels(in the affected regions) and the citizens. The world Malaria day celebrated on April 25 each year serves to continuously draw awareness, that more has to be done.


Article written by Enenim Ubon.