BELLSHEF CYBERWORLD
Recharge card printing, computer repair and networking

bellshef88

Measures to combat the pandemic AIDS Kills Irrespective of Nationality Throughout the world on December 1, people commemorate World AIDS Day. By remembering those who have died, caring for those living with this disease, taking preventive actions, donating funds and continuing scientific research, we celebrate the progress made in fighting this terrible epidemic and focus on resolving the remaining challenges. On World AIDS Day, all of us - individuals, communities and governments - join in the pledge to "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise". HIV/AIDS poses one of the greatest threats the world has ever seen. UNAIDS, the joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, estimates that 40.3 million people are living with HIV today. In 2005, more than 3 million died of AIDS, including 500,000 children. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a global scourge and every nation must recognize the problem - the United States and Russia, included. In the United States, we learned that lesson the hard way. Twenty years ago, our response was slow and inadequate. Since then, however, we have learned, sometimes painfully, many important lessons. First, a delayed response is far less effective. Turning the tide against HIV/AIDS requires urgent, decisive action to educate, prevent and treat. Second, all elements of society must respond. That means not just health organizations, but also churches and educational institutions, the business sector and the government. Only by working together and applying all possible resources can society break the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS. Lastly, prevention must be the cornerstone. It is essential to recognize and attack the problem before it grows. Our hope is that Russia can learn from the U.S. experience and avoid our mistakes. All of us, not just Russia and the United States, but every country in the world, have a stake in pooling our knowledge, our experiences and our resources. HIV/AIDS doesn't respect national boundaries or concepts of sovereignty. We are all vulnerable. In Russia, HIV/AIDS is a growing concern. Some experts estimate that as many as 1 million Russians, over 1% of the adult population, are HIV positive. The majority of infections occur in the under-30 year old population, individuals in the prime of their lives. Today, these numbers are growing at a rapid rate. The good news is that with timely, effective action it will be possible to stop the spread of this disease. Russia, with its high literacy rate, well-educated population and formidable scientific establishment, is better situated than most countries to overcome this challenge. But time is short. Russia is not alone in this struggle. Our two Presidents have made the fight against HIV/AIDS an important part of their dialog and a common priority. Our scientific collaboration, particularly in vaccine research, will benefit the global community. The G-8 Summit, which Russia is hosting in St. Petersburg in July 2006, offers another opportunity for joint action when leaders discuss infectious disease, one of the Summit's main themes. Working together, we can make a difference. HIV/AIDS knows no boundaries; it discriminates against no ethnicity, no gender, no age, no race, no religion. It is a global problem that threatens us all. We cannot ignore it. Let us choose on this World AIDS Day to join the battle against HIV/AIDS in order to build a healthier future for all people.
Username:
Password:
Drug Abuse and AIDS Behavior associated with drug abuse is now the single largest factor in the spread of HIV infection in the United States. HIV is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. AIDS is a condition characterized by a defect in the body's natural immunity to diseases, and individuals who suffer from it are at risk for severe illnesses that are usually not a threat to anyone whose immune system is working properly. Although many individuals who have AIDS or carry HIV may live for many years with treatment, there is no known cure or vaccine. Using or sharing unsterile needles, cotton swabs, rinse water, and cookers, such as when injecting heroin, cocaine, or other drugs, leaves a drug abuser vulnerable to contracting or transmitting HIV. Another way people may be at risk for contracting HIV is simply by using drugs of abuse, regardless of whether a needle and syringe are involved. Research sponsored by NIDA and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has shown that drug and alcohol use can interfere with judgment about sexual (and other) behavior and thereby affect the likelihood of engaging in unplanned and unprotected sex. This increases the risk for contracting HIV from infected sex partners. Infection Rates Since the epidemic began, injection drug use has directly and indirectly accounted for more than one-third (36 percent) of AIDS cases in the United States, and an estimated 28 percent of diagnosed AIDS cases among adults and adolescents were related to injection drug use in 2002. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analysis of HIV surveillance data, of the 859,000 cumulative AIDS cases reported through December 2002, a total of 209,920 (25 percent) were among injection drug users (IDUs).* From 1998 to 2002, an estimated 240,268 AIDS diagnoses were due directly to injection drug use, with males accounting for roughly 72 percent of these cases. Over this same period, there has been a gradual decline in the number of new AIDS diagnoses associated with injection drug use for both males and females. Among racial and ethnic groups, as of December 2002, 43 percent of cumulative AIDS cases reported among adult and adolescent Hispanic males were directly or indirectly related to injection drug use, as were 42 percent among African American males. The percentages were greater among females, however. Fifty-eight percent of cumulative AIDS cases reported among adult and adolescent Hispanic females were directly or indirectly related to injection drug use, as were 57 percent of cases reported among White females and 51 percent among African American females. By comparison, only 18 percent of the cumulative AIDS cases reported through 2002 among White males were directly or indirectly related to injection drug use. The gradual decline over the period from 1998 to 2002 in the number of new AIDS diagnoses among IDUs contrasts with the steady to slightly increasing numbers of new AIDS diagnoses among men who have sex with men (MSM). However, the greater contrast is with the number of new AIDS diagnoses due to heterosexual contact, which has increased steadily from 1998 to 2002 for both adult and adolescent males (18 percent) and females (16 percent). Noninjection drugs (such as “crack” cocaine) also contribute to the spread of the epidemic when users trade sex for money, or when they engage in high-risk sexual behaviors while under the influence of drugs. One CDC study of more than 2,000 young adults in three inner-city neighborhoods found that crack smokers were three times more likely to be infected with HIV than nonsmokers. AIDS Cases By Exposure Category and Sex Through 2002, Cumulative Number and Percent Prevention of HIV among IDUs Evidence suggests that drug abuse treatment can help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, especially when combined with prevention and community-based outreach programs for at-risk people. These efforts can reduce or eliminate drug use and drug-related HIV risk behaviors such as needle sharing, as well as help to reduce unsafe sexual practices. One study showed a sixfold difference in the rate of seroconversion between injecting drug users in methadone maintenance treatment (3.5 percent) and those who stayed out of treatment (22 percent). In addition, drug treatment programs can help to reduce the spread of other blood-borne infections, including hepatitis B and C viruses. Adequate medical care for HIV/AIDS and related illnesses is also critical to reducing and preventing the spread of new infections.
 
This website was created for free with Own-Free-Website.com. Would you also like to have your own website?
Sign up for free