McCrea, Warner and Yaede 1

Caitlyn Yaede, Calvin Warner, and Wallis McCrea

Ms. Agar
English II Honors
15 November 2016
Silent Epidemic
Among war and starvation and among drought and violence, a disease runs rampant
through the masses. Plaguing mothers, motherless children, and fueled by constant turmoil, AIDS
prospers in the impoverished regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. AIDS is a sexually transmitted
disease that affects individuals worldwide; however, its impacts are most noticeable in Africa. On
the African continent, AIDS is a growing problem due to the existing social stigma, lack of
quality health care, and inaction of political figures; furthermore, if communities and leaders do
not take action to spread awareness of AIDS prevention, then it is likely that the epidemic could
spread beyond the Sub-Saharan region and affect the lives of millions more people (AIDS in
Africa).
There are many shortcomings in African societal structure that are resulting in an
incredibly high prevalence of AIDS in the population. However, some of these causes can be
found in or traced back to few specific demographics. While the vast majority of new HIV
infections in sub-Saharan Africa occur in adults over the age of 25, HIV disproportionately affects
young women. More than 4 in 10 new infections among women are in young women aged 15-24
(HIV and AIDS). As stated, young women account for a large proportion of those who suffer
from HIV/AIDS, and thus, contributing greatly to the spread of the disease. By asking crucial
questions and understanding who is most impacted by AIDS, better steps can be taken to alleviate

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the afflicted demographic. Moreover, the social state of Africa contributes to the relentless AIDS
crisis. Cultural and religious taboos have inhibited open discussion about an epidemic that
spreads mainly through sexual contact (Goliber). Comparable to social norms worldwide, some
African societies views the issue as a matter of sexuality and religion; thus, a wide social stigma
has emerged, preventing HIV/AIDS relief services in some regions. While the people project bias
and discrimination towards those with AIDS, government leaders have taken a more lax stance,
which has proven to have negative outcomes. At the public policy level, the silence meant that
African political leaders were slow to recognize the crisis nature of the epidemic and to formulate
a national resolve to use all available resources to address the emergency (Goliber). Succumbing
to the pattern of stigmatizing AIDS, African political leaders have done little to assess the
epidemic occurring throughout the continent. Culture has not only limited the discussion of
HIV/AIDS, but it has also inhibited political leaders from recognizing the crisis. The economic
state of this impoverished continent has also hindered AIDS treatment and prevention. About
two-thirds live in extreme poverty, defined as an income of $1 per day or less per person. In such
households, families cannot meet their basic needs for survival (food, health care, safe drinking
water and sanitation, shelter clothing), and the lack of these necessities has compromised their
health (Gelletly). The inability to access health care has dramatically impacted the AIDS
epidemic; for instance, when individuals can not afford medical care or diagnosis, they remain
unaware of their AIDS status and could unknowingly spread the disease. Impoverished living
conditions and lack sanitation also allow disease to be easily transmitted among people. However,
without stable health care systems in place, little can be done for even those who could afford
treatment. To obtain treatment, such patients face long walks to health centers or high

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transportation costs, hours of queuing, and poor, sometimes stigmatizing, consultation. Unlike
symptomatic patients, these patients see no short-term benefit from treatment (Iman). As
explained in this statement, health care facilities are few and far between, with many obstacles
preventing successful remedies. Location, socioeconomic status, and quality of doctors have
proven to provide great difficulties to those seeking treatment. Overall, the attitude towards the
HIV/AIDS epidemic can be described as avoidance; therefore, by allowing the issue to
accumulate, the health crisis has reached unimaginable heights with unimaginable consequences.
Long lasting implications lie ahead for Africa, and will continue to worsen in severity as
time goes on. Above all, this highly populated region of diverse cultures faces massive death tolls
due to AIDS. Each day, 6,000 Africans die from AIDS. Each day, an additional 11,000 are
infected (Shah). These staggering numbers reveal the harsh truth about the epidemic, as it claims
more lives than warfare does in Africa (Shah). Indeed, no war has accumulated as many deaths as
the biological force of AIDS. Over 17 million Africans have died of AIDS since the disease was
discovered (Penn). While the death rate is alarmingly high, the prosperity for Africa is risked
whenever a mother or father falls into the deadly grasp of illness. AIDS affects different
segments of society in different ways. For example, children may have to care for an ill parent.
Schooling may suffer as a result (Shah). When a parent becomes sick with AIDS, children are
appointed as the primary caretakers. Faced with the task of feeding and caring for weak parents,
children drop out of their education. This is likely the most damaging effect of AIDS. The
growing numbers of uneducated youth can prove disastrous for the future of Africa, which will
lack educated leaders to successfully govern it. Similarly, young children are losing more than
their education when their parents contract AIDS. Today, over 11 million children under the age

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of 15 living in sub-Saharan Africa have been robbed of one or both parents by HIV/AIDS. Seven
years from now, the number is expected to have grown to 20 million (Africas Orphaned).
When parents or guardians die due to AIDS, children are left without homes, family, or means to
provide for themselves. Such large numbers of orphans could hinder opportunities for youth to
thrive, thus preventing further development for Africa. Africas struggle in preventing and
treating AIDS goes beyond the disease. Youth left homeless or uneducated foreshadow stagnant
development and even potential decline for the future of African society.
One reason AIDS prevention has been so difficult is because the spread of the disease is
often done unknowingly, but very easily and frequently. As a result, AIDS has continued to
become more and more prevalent in Africa. As of 2013 in Sub-Saharan Africa, 24.7 million
people are living with HIV. There is a 4.7% adult HIV prevalence and 1.5 million new HIV
infections. 1.1 million AIDS-related deaths occurred and 39% were of adults on antiretroviral
treatment (HIV and AIDS). The numbers regarding AIDS in Africa are a significantly large
percentage compared to AIDS cases worldwide, resulting in a staggering number of deaths to
HIV/AIDS with only under half of the adults seeking treatment. It is important to first understand
these statistics before exploring the ways AIDS is transmitted through communities. Only 11
percent of pregnant HIV-positive women in sub-Saharan Africa receive treatment to prevent
spreading the virus to their child (Penn). When women have children, they risk spreading AIDS
to their children during childbirth or when they breastfeed. If women are unaware of their AIDS
status, they are not able to think of the risk they present to their youth. Indeed, this is only one
way in which AIDS can spread. Transmitted from person to person through bodily fluids, AIDS is
frequently spread through the use of injection drugs, unprotected sex, and poor sanitation,

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especially in refugee camps. It is crucial to inform the people of developing countries, such as
Africa, how their actions can facilitate the spread of a disease like AIDS; thus, a more educated
population can help end the tragic epidemic.
To combat the AIDS epidemic, many root causes would have to be eliminated in order to
produce an effective solution. One factor that many organizations are working to improve is
diagnosing HIV victims. In 2013, 6.4 million people were tested for HIV in Kenya compared to
just 860,000 in 2008 (HIV AND AIDS). In Kenya, as well as other countries, progress has
been made that allows diagnosis to a wider audience. Meanwhile, steps are being taken that can
prevent the disease in communities. In South Africa, a relatively wealthy African nation, during
much of his term former president Thabo Mbeki had long denied that AIDS resulted from HIV.
Only through public outrage and international pressure was he forced to admit that there was a
problem (Iman). A symbol of the stigma surrounding AIDS diminishing, South Africas actions
to recognize the disease can prove to be a catalyst for future prevention efforts. One study
reported that roughly 50% of people who test positive for HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are lost
between testing and being assessed for eligibility for treatment. A further 32% who find out they
are eligible for treatment do not initiate ART (HIV and AIDS). Health care reform is urgently
needed in Africa, as seen by the gap between diagnosis and testing for populations. Indeed, some
major organizations are providing the financial and educational means needed to establish quality
health care facilities. Reform is shrouded among war and impoverishment, but is becoming more
clear as the generation progresses. On a global scale, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the
AIDS epidemic has grown to be a detriment to African development. It is crucial to the African

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countries and overall global progress that the AIDS epidemic is resolved, as it restricts the
opportunities for a successful and prosperous future generation.

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Works Cited
"Africas Orphaned Generations." UNICEF, UNICEF,
www.unicef.org/sowc06/pdfs/africas_orphans.pdf. Accessed 7 Nov. 2016.
Anup, Shah. "AIDS in Africa." Global Issues, Global Issues, 29 Nov. 2009
Gelletly, LeeAnne. AIDS and Health Issues in Africa. Philadelphia, Mason Crest, 2014.
Goliber , Thomas. "Africa's Political Response to HIV/AIDS." Population Reference Bureau,
Population Reference Bureau, July 2002,
www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2002/AfricasPoliticalResponsetoHIVAIDS.aspx.
HIV and AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Overview." Avert, Avert, 14 Oct. 2016
Penn, Mary. "10 facts about HIV/AIDS in Africa." The Blog, borgen project, borgenproject.org.
Accessed 11 July 2016.
lman, Tom. "Demedicalizing AIDS Prevention and Treatment in Africa." The New England
Journal of Medicine, The New England Journal of Medicine, 22 Jan. 2015,
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1414730#t=article.

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Outline
I. Introduction
A. Hook
B. Transition
C. Thesis
II. Causes
A. Demographic Impacted
B. Social Factors
C. Political Factors
D. Economic Factors
E. Poor Health Care
III. Effects
A. Death Rate
B. Lack of Education
C. Orphanage
IV. Spread
A. Statistics
B. Transmission
V. Treatment
A. Diagnosis
B. Government Action
C. Health Care Reform