WORLD AIDS DAY 2021: EARLY SYMPTOMS, FACTS AND FIGURES

Wed 01 December 2021:

Raising awareness about a disease is the first step to eradicating it. World AIDS Day — commemorated on December 1 every year — provides a chance for people across the world to come together in the battle against the disease, show support to those living with it, and mourn those who have lost their lives.

The day also acknowledges the achievements and global efforts to deal with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared December 1 as World AIDS Day in 1988. According to statistics, over 36 million lives have been lost to HIV or AIDS-related diseases so far, and an estimated 37.7 million individuals were living with it at the end of 2020, making it one of the deadliest diseases in the world.

HIV or AIDS-related complexities weaken the human immune system and make it more susceptible to fatal damages. World AIDS Day is significant as it also works to speak out against the stigma of HIV in today’s society.

In this way, more and more people irrespective of caste or creed are called to extend their support for HIV awareness. This year’s theme is on similar lines — “End inequalities. End AIDS”.

On this day, we recognise that it is important to prevent the disease through awareness. People and organisations undertake the task around the globe by raising fundraising programmes or organising awareness campaigns.

What are the early symptoms of the disease?

The early symptoms of the disease include – fever, sore throat, skin rashes, nausea, general body aches and pain, headaches and stomach upset etc. As the infection progresses, the disease further weakens the immune system of the individuals and they undergo weight loss and can have diarrhoea and swollen lymph nodes. This makes early detection and treatment extremely important for HIV patients.

Ways of Transmission

Transmission through blood: reusing syringes contaminated with HIV infected samples is a very potent cause of transmission
Sexual transmission: unprotected sexual activities with multiple people and exposure of a person to sexual fluids during physical intimacy
Perinatal transmission: during pregnancy, childbirth and even breastfeeding, a mother can transmit the infection to her child

Tips for Prevention

Contact with body fluids: by reducing the risk of exposure to contaminated blood, HIV can be prevented. It is as easy as washing that part of the skin thoroughly that u think might have come in contact with contaminated blood/ fluids.
Do not share any intravenous drugs (through needles and syringes): Sharing needles exposed to HIV and other infections can not only cause HIV AIDS but also conditions like hepatitis C.
Unprotected sex exposes a person to the risk of contracting STD’s (sexually transmitted diseases)

Important Stats

HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed 36.3 million [27.2–47.8 million] lives so far.
There is no cure for HIV infection. However, with increasing access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, including for opportunistic infections, HIV infection has become a manageable chronic health condition, enabling people living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives.
There were an estimated 37.7 million [30.2–45.1 million] people living with HIV at the end of 2020, over two thirds of whom (25.4 million) are in the WHO African Region.
In 2020, 680 000 [480 000–1.0 million] people died from HIV-related causes and 1.5 million [1.0–2.0 million] people acquired HIV.
To reach the new proposed global 95–95–95 targets set by UNAIDS, we will need to redouble our efforts to avoid the worst-case scenario of 7.7 million HIV-related deaths over the next 10 years, increasing HIV infections due to HIV service disruptions during COVID-19, and the slowing public health response to HIV.

(Source: WHO)

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