AIDS in Africa

            These causes are distressing family members as they lose their family members but the area that has been hit the hardest is children. Over 11 million children have now become orphans in Africa alone due to an AIDS related illness and the numbers is expected to increase quickly (Kiesbye). There are another 4.3 million children who have died from the virus (Kiesbye). Those who have been orphaned have nowhere to go as the extended family, which was once capable of absorbing orphaned children, is not itself being decimated by the loss of adults(Dark days for the dark continent). This loss of extended family members is leaving many of those 11 million to now take care of them.

            Another big function that is rapidly increasing the deaths of many HIV positive Africans is the lack of medical attention being provided. Only 1.3 million out of 6.1 million people are taking anti-retrovirals they need (Cheng) and almost all who are taking it would have died without it (Kiesbye). The drop of patients is also another function in this problem. “In big clinics where patients have to wait long hours to get their tablets, the number of patients who stay on treatment often drops sharply,” says Dr.Costem as he portrays its effects (Cheng). There is also that many of the AIDS patients who desperately need some treatment are too sick get it due to the lack of transport (Cheng); 40% of those who are no longer taking the needed drug to stay alive for 2 years have lost their lives (Cheng). The transference of mother to child also plays a factor as only 11% if pregnant women with AIDS in middle and low income countries received the drugs to not transfer it to their child.

            The reasons high percentages in Africa has been due to cultural issues and lack of medical attentions which made it such a big problem in Africa. The effects are all around as it hurts the person itself, families, and largely on children of AIDS patients. These things are the majority of reasons that AIDS has become such an epidemic in Africa and its effects have devastated the people.