HIV/AIDS

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HIV/AIDS

UNICEF Innovation Fund

http://www.unicefusa.org/mission/survival/hiv-aids

The UNICEF Innovation Fund is a project that unites HIV experts with businesses and philanthropic leaders to work towards an HIV free generation by 2015. The Fund seeks to harness great minds, effective technologies, and resources to reach children and families in even the most remote places and enable them to live healthy HIV free lives. With much focus being put on mothers and children in Africa, the program, in 2012, has provided antiretroviral drugs to 62% of pregnant women living with HIV in 22 high infection countries. By 2012, the fund had helped reach 34% of children infected with HIV and provided them with antiretroviral medication in low to middle-income countries. I chose the fund as it has managed to raise awareness to the need for care of women and children unable to access healthcare all over the world.

Part 2

1. Why are women and children particularly vulnerable when it comes to HIV/AIDS?

During intercourse, semen deposited in the vagina can stay for several hours raising risk of infection. The vaginal sensitive lining can be a point of entry for the virus due to abrasions that can be made during intercourse. Children are most especially vulnerable during childbirth if the necessary precautions are not taken on an infected mother. Infected mothers without proper knowledge of how to care for their children also make them highly vulnerable.

2. What are some of the challenges globally regarding prevention of HIV transmission from mother-to-child OR among any other vulnerable groups listed above?

Lack of access to proper maternal and natal care is a global challenge facing the fight against HIV/AIDS. Despite extensive research on mother-child infection, many infected mothers remain uninformed on how best to take care of their children and not pass the infection. Maternity centers are also not well equipped or even existent in most underdeveloped nations.

3. As we end our discussions and close up the term soon, reflect on what you’ve learned in the past few weeks and discuss at least one particular issue/topic that had impact on you. The topic of ethics and public health was most appealing to me as it was very intriguing how changes in policy and laws has helped shape today’s healthcare.