The historical significance of Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day

Celebrated every April 10th of each year, Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day aims to raise awareness and spark conversations about these sexually transmitted infections. Though it is still considered a taboo topic by some, educating the masses about this epidemic is extremely important, considering the number of people affected yearly.

Studies show that Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections first originated from chimpanzees located in Central Africa back in the late 1800s. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains: "The chimpanzee version of the virus is called (the) simian immunodeficiency virus. It was probably passed to humans when humans hunted these chimpanzees for meat and came in contact with their infected blood."

As decades passed, the virus slowly spread all over Africa, and later on to all other parts of the globe. The statistics for the number of people who had gotten HIV and/or developed AIDS could not be calculated until the 1980s, partly due to the fact that HIV transmissions did not come with any noticeable signs or symptoms.

In the year 2021, there were 38.4 million people worldwide living with HIV, according to the data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). A staggering count of 650,000 people also died in the same year due to HIV-related illnesses. "The WHO African Region remains most severely affected, with nearly one in every 25 adults (3.4%) living with HIV and accounting for more than two-thirds of the people living with HIV worldwide," as reported by the World Health Organization.

Initially, HIV and AIDS were known as "Gay-Related Immune Deficiency (GRID)" in 1981, because it was assumed that the disease only affected homosexual men. However, two years later, it was discovered that it could also affect the female population through heterosexual acts of intercourse. In the year of 2011, Timothy Ray, a patient diagnosed with HIV, was cured after four years of treatment.

With the help and contributions of Dr Mark Wainberg, a drug called 3TC began to be developed in 1996. A combination drug therapy, results were immediately seen when 3TC was put in effect, with an immediate decline of between 60 to 80 per cent in rates of AIDS-related deaths and hospitalisation. However, the price of the drug was too high and could not be afforded by some. It took four years for the "UNAIDS" to be able to convince five pharmaceutical companies to reduce the cost of HIV medication for developing countries.

Though the only way to confirm if one has HIV and AIDS is to get tested, there are some warning signs. For example, many have reported that they experienced flu-like symptoms within two to four weeks after being infected. Others also experience swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, and/or night sweats.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the last and most severe stage of HIV infections, which occurs when the body's immune system is badly damaged by the virus. The chronic, potentially life-threatening disease could leave the patient with just approximately three years left if proper treatment is not observed.

HIV is usually transferred through three common occurrences. First, during sexual intercourse with an infected individual. Second, through getting stuck by a needle with the blood of an HIV-diagnosed patient. Third, through pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding, if the mother has the infection.

Back in 2022, the British government stated that it would contribute one billion pounds to the Global Fund for fighting AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. This was 30 per cent less than what the nation had pledged during the previous funding round in 2019.

The fourth person to ever be cured of HIV also occurred in the same year, in the midst of receiving comments that the process was too risky. The 66-year-old man, named the "City of Hope" patient, was declared in remission in the lead-up to the International AIDS Conference. He was the second person to be announced cured in 2022.