HIV/AIDS to Become Serious Health Risk in Somalia: UN Report
Posted on: Thursday, 18 August 2005, 09:00 CDT
HIV/AIDS to become serious health risk in Somalia: UN report
NAIROBI, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations has warned that HIV/AIDS will soon become a major health problem in war-wracked Somalia without concerted efforts to contain the factors fueling the epidemic.
In its latest monthly report on the humanitarian situation in Somalia available here Wednesday, the UN said the current infection rates in the Horn of Africa nation could rise dramatically.
"Findings show that HIV will soon become a major health problem if concerted efforts are not put in place to contain factors fueling the epidemic," said the report which cited a survey carried out last year.
The UN inter-agency report on the overall humanitarian situation in Somalia, which has had no functioning government for 14 years following the collapse in 1991 of the government of Mohamed Siad Barre, highlights among its findings the sobering results of the country's first-ever nationwide HIV/AIDS prevalence study.
The survey found the lawless nation's average HIV infection rate to be 0.9 percent but with "zonal variations", particularly in its two semi-autonomous regions of Puntland and Somaliland, where the average was one and 1.4 percent respectively.
Poor education, high mobility, the transfusion of unsafe blood and negative cultural practices, including female circumcision and commercial sex, are some of the "vulnerability factors" the report said needed to be addressed.
The survey covered multiple groups, including pregnant women attending antenatal clinics, and tuberculosis patients with sexually transmitted diseases, among others.
Fortunately, the report said political commitment to fighting HIV/ AIDS is growing. An anti-retroviral treatment program was recently launched in the northern town of Hargeisa.
"Voluntary Counseling and Testing," and "Prevention of Mother to Children Transmission" programs are already underway with the help of the World Food Program, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization.
Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS
Related Articles
- Keenan 2009 Health Care Benefits Strategy Survey Profiles Challenges and Responses From California Organizations Representing 217 Hospitals
- CMS Launches Fourth Annual Medicare Health Care Provider Satisfaction Survey
- Etubics Reports Breakthrough Next Generation HIV Vaccine at AIDS Conference
- Anti-HIV drugs cut AIDS mortality in Uganda
- Comprehensive Sexuality Education is HIV Prevention; World AIDS Day 2005: Stop AIDSbKeep the Promise
- Patients Unaware of Their HIV Infection Until AIDS Diagnosis in Sweden 1996-2002 - a Remaining Problem in the Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Era
- Associations Between the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medications and Demographic, Health and Lifestyle Factors in Mid- Life Australian Women
- Health Net Aids Hurricane Katrina Victims With $100,000 Contribution to Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund; Company Also Will Match Employee Donations to Relief Efforts
- Arafat's Health Improving, Aides Say
- China Teaches HIV Prevention on AIDS Day
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds