HIV/AIDS in Mali

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Infection rates of HIV/AIDS in Mali are estimated to be under 2%, which is relatively low compared to other parts of Africa, although the infection rate is higher among women of childbearing age. However, this figure is most likely deceptive; the problem in attempting to estimate infection rates is that voluntary testing is rare. Women who give birth in a hospital are automatically tested, but others in the general population rarely present themselves for testing. National education campaigns have targeted the general population since the late 1990s, as government and international organizations are concerned that Malians may be vulnerable to the spread of the pandemic. Since 2002, the Supreme National Council for AIDS (HCNLS) has coordinated educational campaigns around sexual activity and condom use to stem HIV infection. Condom use remains low by international standards.

HIV/AIDS in Africa HIV/AIDS in Africa

HIV/AIDS is a major public health concern and cause of death in many parts of Africa. Although the continent is home to about 15.2 percent of the world's population, more than two-thirds of the total infected worldwide – some 35 million people – were Africans, of whom 15 million have already died. Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounted for an estimated 69 percent of all people living with HIV and 70 percent of all AIDS deaths in 2011. In the countries of sub-Saharan Africa most affected, AIDS has raised death rates and lowered life expectancy among adults between the ages of 20 and 49 by about twenty years. Furthermore, the life expectancy in many parts of Africa is declining, largely as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic with life-expectancy in some countries reaching as low as thirty-four years.

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Prevalence

The first cases of HIV/AIDS in Mali were reported in 1985. While the adult HIV prevalence was still relatively low at 1.7% according to the 2001 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), it was estimated that HIV prevalence in the general population could triple by 2010 if appropriate prevention measures are not taken immediately. There are over 11,000 children living with AIDS in Mali. [1]

Mali republic in West Africa

Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa, a region geologically identified with the West African Craton. Mali is the eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of just over 1,240,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq mi). The population of Mali is 18 million. Its capital is Bamako. The sovereign state of Mali consists of eight regions and its borders on the north reach deep into the middle of the Sahara Desert, while the country's southern part, where the majority of inhabitants live, features the Niger and Senegal rivers. The country's economy centers on agriculture and mining. Some of Mali's prominent natural resources include gold, being the third largest producer of gold in the African continent, and salt.

Biologically, an adult is a human or other organism that has reached sexual maturity. In human context, the term adult additionally has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a "minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of majority and is therefore regarded as independent, self-sufficient, and responsible. The typical age of attaining legal adulthood is 18, although definition may vary by legal rights and country.

Vulnerability to HIV infection in Mali is associated with a variety of factors, including poverty, poor health conditions, certain cultural practices, and low literacy levels. Cultural factors related to HIV vulnerability may include male dominance of women, the early onset of sexual activity among females, and polygamy, while poverty may result in increased prostitution. In addition to polygyny, another cultural factor widely accepted among much of the population is multiple sex partners outside of marriage. Migration is also a significant contributor to HIV infection, as HIV prevalence in neighboring countries such as Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso is substantially higher than in Mali. Political and social troubles in countries like Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone are also believed to contribute to increased HIV transmission across borders. [1]

Poverty state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money

Poverty is the scarcity or the lack of a certain (variant) amount of material possessions or money. Poverty is a multifaceted concept, which may include social, economic, and political elements. Absolute poverty, extreme poverty, or destitution refers to the complete lack of the means necessary to meet basic personal needs such as food, clothing and shelter.

Literacy ability to read for knowledge, write coherently, and think critically about the written word; ability to read, write, and use arithmetic

Dictionaries traditionally define literacy as the ability to read and write. In the modern world, this is one way of interpreting literacy. One more broad interpretation sees literacy as knowledge and competence in a specific area. The concept of literacy has evolved in meaning. The modern term's meaning has been expanded to include the ability to use language, numbers, images, computers, and other basic means to understand, communicate, gain useful knowledge, solve mathematical problems and use the dominant symbol systems of a culture. The concept of literacy is expanding across OECD countries to include skills to access knowledge through technology and ability to assess complex contexts. A person who travels and resides in a foreign country but is unable to read or write in the language of the host country would be regarded by the locals as illiterate.

Culture societys way of life within anthropology

Culture is the social behavior and norms found in human societies. Culture is considered a central concept in anthropology, encompassing the range of phenomena that are transmitted through social learning in human societies. Cultural universals are found in all human societies; these include expressive forms like art, music, dance, ritual, religion, and technologies like tool usage, cooking, shelter, and clothing. The concept of material culture covers the physical expressions of culture, such as technology, architecture and art, whereas the immaterial aspects of culture such as principles of social organization, mythology, philosophy, literature, and science comprise the intangible cultural heritage of a society.

Recorded rates of HIV infection are higher in Malian women than in men, particularly among pregnant women 25–29 years of age, in whom prevalence is almost 5%. The estimated ratio of HIV-infected young women to young men is 4.5:1. Low condom use and a high prevalence of sexually transmitted disease and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are important contributing factors for HIV transmission in Mali. Condom use by young males 15–24 years of age is approximately 30%, but among young females it is as low as 14%. Condom use is also low among other vulnerable populations, such as military personnel, truck drivers, and vendors. A recent survey found that only 12% of women vendors in Bamako (with an estimated HIV seroprevalence of 6.7%) reported using a condom with their last non-regular partner. [1] Some people still do not believe that AIDS is real, citing rumors that it is a myth propagated by people in Western/European countries who don't want Africans to have more children.

Pregnancy time when children develop inside the mothers body before birth

Pregnancy, also known as gestation, is the time during which one or more offspring develops inside a woman. A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy can occur by sexual intercourse or assisted reproductive technology. Childbirth typically occurs around 40 weeks from the last menstrual period (LMP). This is just over nine months, where each month averages 31 days. When measured from fertilization it is about 38 weeks. An embryo is the developing offspring during the first eight weeks following fertilization, after which, the term fetus is used until birth. Symptoms of early pregnancy may include missed periods, tender breasts, nausea and vomiting, hunger, and frequent urination. Pregnancy may be confirmed with a pregnancy test.

Condom birth control device

A condom is a sheath-shaped barrier device, used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both male and female condoms. With proper use—and use at every act of intercourse—women whose partners use male condoms experience a 2% per-year pregnancy rate. With typical use the rate of pregnancy is 18% per-year. Their use greatly decreases the risk of gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, hepatitis B, and HIV/AIDS. They also to a lesser extent protect against genital herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), and syphilis.

Bamako Capital city in Bamako Capital District, Mali

Bamako is the capital and largest city of Mali, with a population of 2,009,109. In 2006, it was estimated to be the fastest-growing city in Africa and sixth-fastest in the world. It is located on the Niger River, near the rapids that divide the upper and middle Niger valleys in the southwestern part of the country.

National response

The commitment of the Government of Mali to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment is evident. The National AIDS Program was restructured in 2002, creating the Supreme National Council for AIDS (HCNLS), headed by the President of Mali; in 2004, an Executive Secretariat was added to the HCNLS to coordinate multisectoral HIV/AIDS-related programming. The National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS Control (2001–2005) was developed, and coordination for a new strategic plan (2005–2009) has begun. In March 2004, the government signed a national declaration of HIV/AIDS policy. [1]

Amadou Toumani Touré Malian soldier and politician

Amadou Toumani Touré is a Malian politician who was President of Mali from 2002 to 2012.

See also

Related Research Articles

Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is a global pandemic. As of 2017, approximately 36.9 million people are living with HIV globally. In 2018, approximately 43% are women. There were about 940,000 deaths from AIDS in 2017. The 2015 Global Burden of Disease Study, in a report published in The Lancet, estimated that the global incidence of HIV infection peaked in 1997 at 3.3 million per year. Global incidence fell rapidly from 1997 to 2005, to about 2.6 million per year, but remained stable from 2005 to 2015.

HIV/AIDS in South Africa HIV/AIDS in South Africa

HIV/AIDS is the most serious health concern in South Africa. The country has the highest number of people living with HIV of any country, and the fourth-highest adult HIV prevalence rate, according to the 2016 United Nations statistics.

Since the first HIV/AIDS case in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) was identified in 1990, the number of infections has continued to grow. In 2005, UNAIDS estimated that 3,700 people in Lao PDR were living with HIV.

Angola has a large HIV/AIDS infected population, however, it has one of the lowest prevalence rates in the Southern Africa zone. The status of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Angola is expected to change within the near future due to several forms of behavioral, cultural, and economic characteristics within the country such as lack of knowledge and education, low levels of condom use, the frequency of sex and number of sex partners, economic disparities and migration. There is a significant amount of work being done in Angola to combat the epidemic, but most aid is coming from outside of the country.

The infection rate of HIV/AIDS in Ivory Coast is estimated at 2.70% in adults ages 15–49. Ivory Coast has a generalized HIV epidemic with the highest prevalence rate in the West African region. The prevalence rate appears to have remained relatively stable for the past decade, with recent declines among pregnant women in urban areas. Civil conflict in the country continues to hinder the collection of new national HIV-related data.

HIV/AIDS in Lesotho

HIV/AIDS in Lesotho constitutes a very serious threat to the Basotho people and Lesotho's economic development. Since its initial detection in 1986, HIV/AIDS has spread at alarming rates in Lesotho. In 2000, King Letsie III declared HIV/AIDS a natural disaster. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2016, Lesotho's adult prevalence rate of 25% is the second highest in the world, following Swaziland.

HIV/AIDS in Eswatini was first reported in 1986 but has since reached epidemic proportions due in large part to cultural beliefs which discourage safe-sex practices. Coupled with a high rate of co-infection with tuberculosis, life expectancy has halved in the first decade of the millennium. As of 2016, Eswatini has the highest prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15 to 49 in the world (27.2%). The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Eswatini, having contributed largely to high mortality rates among productive Swazi age groups, has adversely affected the country’s socioeconomic status and hindered its overall development.

HIV/AIDS in Malawi

As of 2012, approximately 1,100,000 people in Malawi are HIV-positive, which represents 10.8% of the country's population. Because the Malawian government was initially slow to respond to the epidemic under the leadership of Hastings Banda (1966–1994), the prevalence of HIV/AIDS increased drastically between 1985, when the disease was first identified in Malawi, and 1993, when HIV prevalence rates were estimated to be as high as 30% among pregnant women. The Malawian food crisis in 2002 resulted, at least in part, from a loss of agricultural productivity due to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Various degrees of government involvement under the leadership of Bakili Muluzi (1994–2004) and Bingu wa Mutharika (2004–2012) resulted in a gradual decline in HIV prevalence, and, in 2003, many people living in Malawi gained access to antiretroviral therapy. Condoms have become more widely available to the public through non-governmental organizations, and more Malawians are taking advantage of HIV testing services.

The 2012 Zimbabwe Demographic And Health Survey (ZDHS) estimated national HIV prevalence rates at 15%, meaning that they estimated 12% infection rate for men, and 18% for women. However, these numbers are based on data from pregnant women at antenatal clinics, which are notoriously unreliable in estimating national HIV prevalence rates, because the subset of the population used, pregnant women, are not statistically representative of the general population. No follow up testing is done if more than 10% of samples show a positive result after the initial test. As a result, false positives are not eliminated from the survey results.

Response rates and methodology: HIV prevalence data were obtained from testing dried blood spot (DBS) samples voluntarily provided by women age 15–49 and men age 15–54 who were interviewed in the 2010- 11 ZDHS. The DBS were collected using the finger stick method. Of the 18,554 eligible respondents, 75% were both interviewed and provided DBS specimens. Coverage rates were higher in rural areas (83%) than in urban areas (63%).

HIV/AIDS in Nepal

Nepal's first cases of HIV/AIDS were reported in 1988 and the disease has primarily been transmitted by intravenous drug use and unprotected sex. Among the two, HIV epidemic is largely attributed to sexual transmissions which account for more than 85% of the total new HIV infections.Available data indicate that there was a sharp increase in the number of new infections starting in 1996, coinciding with the outbreak of civil unrest. The infection rate of HIV/AIDS in Nepal among the adult population is estimated to be below the 1 percent threshold which is considered "generalized and severe". However, the prevalence rate masks a concentrated epidemic among at-risk populations such as female sex workers (FSWs), male sex workers (MSWs), injecting drug users (IDUs), men who have sex with men (MSM), Transgender Groups (TG), migrants and Male Labor Migrants(MLMs) as well as their spouses. Cultural factors have also been shown to play a significant role in the spread of HIV and AIDS in Nepal. Some of these cultural factors are related with social taboos which creates challenges for open discussions regarding sex and sexual habits, as do denial, stigma, and discrimination that surround HIV and AIDS. Other factors such as poverty, low levels of education and literacy, political instability combined with gender inequality make the tasks challenging.

Since HIV/AIDS was first reported in Thailand in 1984, 1,115,415 adults had been infected as of 2008, with 585,830 having died since 1984. 532,522 Thais were living with HIV/AIDS in 2008. In 2009 the adult prevalence of HIV was 1.3%. As of 2016, Thailand had the highest prevalence of HIV in Southeast Asia at 1.1 percent, the 40th highest prevalence of 109 nations.

The Dominican Republic has a 0.7 percent prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS, among the lowest percentage-wise in the Caribbean region. However, it has the second most cases in the Caribbean region in total, with an estimated 46,000 HIV/AIDS-positive Dominicans as of 2013.

HIV/AIDS in Haiti

With an estimated 150,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in 2016, Haiti has the most overall cases of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean and its HIV prevalence rates among the highest percentage-wise in the region. There are many risk factors groups for HIV infection in Haiti, with the most common ones including lower socioeconomic status, lower educational levels, risky behavior, and lower levels of awareness regarding HIV and its transmission. However, HIV prevalence in Haiti is largely dropping as a result of a strong AIDS/HIV educational program, support from non-governmental organizations and private donors, as well as a strong healthcare system supported by UNAIDS. Part of the success of Haiti's HIV healthcare system lies in the governmental commitment to the issue, which alongside the support of donations from the Global Fund and President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), allows the nation to prioritize the issue. Despite the extreme poverty afflicting a large Haitian population, the severe economic impact HIV has on the nation, and the controversy surrounding how the virus spread to Haiti and the United States, Haiti is on the path to provide universal treatment, with other developing nations emulating its AIDS treatment system.

Infection rates of HIV/AIDS in Niger are estimated to be under 1%, low in relation to most of Africa and much of the world.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Health Profile: Mali". USAID (February 2005). PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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