Adeze Ojukwu
2 March 2006
Lagos — DESPITE global efforts and national interventions on HIV/AIDS, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the epicenter of the pandemic. In Nigeria, it is estimated that over 6.5 million people are infected even as experts and advocates have attributed the high rate and prevalence to a myriad of factors including ignorance, stigma, risky sexual behaviour and poor health services in the country.
To reduce the burden, the Nigeria Red Cross Society in collaboration with Nestle Nigeria, has produced a manual, HIV/AIDS Questions and Answers, to facilitate public knowledge and understanding of the infection.
The society's national president Mr. Emmanuel Ijewere in his contribution said, "the aim of the brochure is to build a better understanding, guide people to interact appropriately and encourage safe sexual behaviour.
He added that the manual which will be published in three major Nigerian languages: Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, is designed to guide people to interact appropriately and encourage safe sexual behaviour.
Primarily, it highlights the meaning of HIV/AIDS, myths and misconceptions about the pandemic, symptoms, mode of transmission, as well as role of nutrition and use of condoms to curb spread.
Speaking further on the impact of the manual, in an interview with Daily Champion the company's corporate communication officer, Mr. Femi Atoyebi expressed optimism that the objective of the publication is to reduce spread of HIV in the country.
He said: "The youths particularly females who are most vulnerable to the infection due to ignorance, stigma and risky sexual behaviour are expected to benefit from the manual."
Mr. Atoyebi reiterated Nestle's commitment to the country's goal to curb spread of the infection in addition to providing nutritional products to patients through such brands as Milo, Nutrend and Cerelac. Good nutrition, he stressed is critical to management of health of people with HIV/AIDS. He also highlighted major issues and questions addressed in the book:
What is AIDS?
AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Acquired means that the disease is not hereditary but develops after birth from contact with a disease-causing agent.
Immunodeficiency means that the disease is characterized by a weakening of the immune system.
What does HIV do to the body?
AIDS is caused by a virus known as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which attacks specific cells also known as T-cells. The virus overtakes the T-cells, multiplies and damages more T-cells which damages the body's ability to fight off invading germs and diseases.
When the number of T-cells falls to a very low level, people with HIV become more susceptible to other infections.
Why are children particularly vulnerable to HIV infection?
Children's immune systems are still developing.
They have a different response to HIV infection
T-cell reproduce quicker and viral load counts are higher than in adults.
Can HIV be transmitted from mosquito bites? No!
From onset, there has been concern about HIV transmission from biting and blood sucking insects such as mosquitoes. However, there is no evidence of HIV transmission from mosquitoes. Diseases such as yellow fever and malaria are transmitted through the saliva of specific species of mosquitoes. However, HIV lives for a short time inside an insect and unlike organisms that are transmitted via insect bites, HIV does not reproduce and does not survive in insects.
Thus even if the virus enters a mosquito or another insect, the insect does not become infected and cannot transmit HIV to the next human it bites.
In addition, infected persons do not have constantly high levels of HIV in their blood streams. Also, insect mouthparts retain very small amounts of blood on their surfaces. Finally scientists who study insects have determined that biting insects normally do not travel from one person to another immediately after ingesting blood. Rather they fly to a resting place to digest the blood meal. However, one should avoid being bitten by mosquitoes due to risk of malaria infection.
Which body fluids transmit HIV
These body fluids have been shown to contain high concentrations of HIV-Blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, and other body fluids containing blood.
What are the main ways HIV is passed to a child?
While the baby is in the mother's uterus
At the time of birth
During breast-feeding
What are the barriers to voluntary testing for young persons?
False information
Lack of confidentiality
Costs of administering the test
Lack of parental support.
What are HIV symptoms?
Rapid weight loss, pneumonia
Memory loss, depression
Red, brown, pink or purplish blotches on the skin, inside the mouth, nose or eyelids.
Swollen lymph glands in the utimpits, groin or neck.
Dry cough, recurring fever or profuse night sweats
Profound and unexplained fatigue.
Diarrhoea that lasts for more than a week.
White spots or unusual blemishes on the tongue, in the mouth or throat.
How does HIV/AIDS affects nutrition in adults and children?
It is associated with symptoms that cause a reduction in the amount of food consumed.
It changes metabolism or the way the body transports, uses, stores and excretes many of the nutrients.
Children with infected HIV need greater care and attention because their immune systems are even weaker than those of malnourished children thus increasing the likelihood that opportunistic infections will be severe. HIV-infected children may suffer further complications from metabolic problems, resulting in poor nutrient absorption and utilization. In addition to nutrition problems, HIV-infected children may also face more illnesses such as diarrhoea, neurological problems and development delays.
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