ESSAY COMPETITION ROMANIAN ESSAY - LETS SUPPORT THE ORPHANS IT’S A RENSPOSSIBILITY FOR ALL OF US

LETS SUPPORT THE ORPHANS IT’S A RENSPOSSIBILITY FOR ALL OF US

The global AIDS epidemic is one of the greatest challenges facing our generation. AIDS is a new type of global emergency- an unprecedented threat to human development requiring sustained action and commitment over the long term.
Through education, children and adolescents can learn to care for themselves and protect themselves and those around them. They can also extend this education a step to educate others and help reduce the stigma that still makes life harder than necessary for many people with HIV.
Global actions:
• Strengthening the capacity of families to care for children by prolonging the lives of parents and providing families with economic and other support.
• Supporting local community actions to help children.
• Ensuring that children receive essential services such as health care, education, nutrition and psychosocial support.
• Ensuring that governments develop policies and laws that protect vulnerable children.
• Raising awareness within societies to support children and families affected by HIV/AIDS.
Societal interventions
The objective is prevention of HIV and reduction of societal factors that increase the risk of infection. Protecting the human rights of vulnerable members of society, who are often hardest hit by any health problem, is another important step in mitigating the effects of HIV. Destigmatization of HIV and legal protection from discrimination and physical harm of people with HIV are important because of the broad effects that stigma and fear have on prevention and treatment efforts.
Many projects try to help patients and families with basic needs and income generation. Reduction of poverty and improvement of the overall health of the population are important objectives in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
1. Sexual risk factors
Assess.
• Has the patient had sex?
• Does the patient have an known infected sexual contact?
• Has the patient had any other sexually transmitted this diseases?
• Does the patient have a history of non-consensual sex or sex for survival needs or drugs?
Educate about the ABC
• Abstinence
• Be faithful
• Condom use-discuss techniques of proper use and negotiation of condom use
• Risk reduction-minimising exchange of body fluids, using lubrication and decreasing the number of partners.
2.Drug-use risk factors
Assess
• Does the patient have a history of drug use?
• What types of drugs does he/she use? How often? By what method(inhalation,injection, injestion, topical application)?
Educate
• Changing method of use(e.g. from injection to inhalation or ingestion)
• Changing frequency of use(e.g. from daily to less frequently)
• Acquiring clean needles or cleaning needles with bleach and water
• Drug treatment to stop using drugs
3.Medical/traditional practices with contaminated instruments or blood
Assess
• Has the patient ever had a blood transfusion?
• Does the patient have a history of medical procedures with potentially contaminated instruments or needles?
• Does the patient have a history of traditional practices with potentially contaminated razors or exchange of blood?
Educate
• Use personally owned razors. Clean razors.
• Take universal precautions.
4.Mother/child transmission
Assess
• Does the child have an HIV-positive mother?
• Does the child have a mother who died of unknown causes?
• Is the woman pregnant or considering pregnancy?
Educate
• Educate mother about perinatal transmission and risk reduction for future pregnancies.
• Educate mother about the risk of breastfeeding.
• Educate HIV-positive woman considering pregnancy about the risk of transmitting HIV to her infant and about treatment to reduce that risk.
5. Other risk factors.
Assess
• Does the patient identify other risk factors for HIV?
Educate
• Correct misconceptions about transmission.




By Vlad Marcu
Cls.a-VIIa A
CNPCB