BLOGGING THE VIEW: 5 facts to know this World Aids Day

Since 1988, we have honoured World Aids Day on 1 December, and considering South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho have the highest Aids rates in the world, we must take the time to acknowledge this day.

Here are 10 facts about Aids and a look at how far we’ve come.

1. The first discovery

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids) was first recognised as a new disease in 1981 when a notable number of young homosexual men were succumbing to unusual opportunistic infections and rare malignancies.

2. The first cases in South Africa

It was the following year that South Africa had its first reported cases of Aids, noted among homosexual men. Tragically, this was at a time when HIV antibody tests weren’t developed and around 100 blood transfusion-related infections took place between 1982 and 1985.

3. Celebrity death

In 1991, at the age of only 45, Queen frontman Freddie Mercury succumbed to complications from Aids-related pneumonia. While he didn’t want to be the ‘poster boy’ for Aids, a benefit tribute concert five months after he died raised millions for Aids research.

4. The Aids-homosexuality misconception

Because unprotected anal sex is the riskiest way of transmitting Aids, the rates have been a lot higher than among the heterosexual community. This led to the misconception that Aids infected only gay men, with the disease originally referred to as ‘gay cancer’. We’ve come a long way, but there are still lingering misunderstandings that place everyone at risk.

5. Statistics

While the infection rate has declined, and modern treatments are effective, Aids remains a global health concern we need to take seriously. Here’s a look at the 2022 statistics around HIV/Aids.

· 39 million people were living with HIV
· 1.3 million became newly infected with HIV
· 630 000 died from Aids-related illnesses
· 29.8 million people were accessing antiretrovirals (ARVs)
· 85.6 million have been infected with HIV since the start of the epidemic
· 40.4 million people have died from Aids-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic

It’s important to remember that Aids is not a death sentence. This World Aids Day is an opportunity to reflect on the progress made to date, raise awareness about the challenges, and do what we can to achieve the goal of ending Aids by 2030.

SOURCES:
https://www.who.int/
https://reliefweb.int/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
https://www.scielo.br/

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