Human Immunodeficiency Acquired Syndrome (HIV/AIDS): Mitigation and Control

Infectious Disease and Public Health Paper
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Brief Description of Disease and Rationale
Human Immunodeficiency Acquired Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is regarded as a global health issue. According to World Health Organization (WHO), more than 40.1 million people have died from this disease, with over 38.4 million people living with the disease through medication (WHO, 2023). In the United States (U.S.) alone, 1.2 million people are living with the disease (Beyrer et al., 2021). HIV/AIDs is spread through sexual contact, mother to child during pregnancy, contact with infected blood, and sharing needles. It has no cure, but people can manage it by taking medication that prevents its progression. I have selected HIV/AIDs as it is a silent disease that kills more people each day, with more young people unaware that their risky behavior, such as drug taking, can expose them to the disease. I believe that more awareness programs should target the youth who can be educated on the diverse ways one can be exposed to HIV/AIDS. Additionally, normalizing same sex relationships puts more people at risk if they engage in unprotected sex.
U.S. Government Department's Mitigation Measures
As a means to address the high prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS cases, the American government has initiated various measures to mitigate its spread. It launched President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), designed to accelerate HIV testing and diagnoses. It hopes to offer treatment to the infected rapidly to attain viral suppression. Additionally, the program seeks to lower new infections by 75% in five years and 90% in 10 years (Beyrer et al., 2021). The initiative also hopes to prevent people who are at risk from acquiring the disease. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services supports and implements PEPFAR through HIV prevention and treatment programs. It works in partnership with various organizations, such as CDC, to conduct HIV research to identify methods to treat and prevent HIV. It also works with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure the availability of safe antiretroviral drugs (ARV) (HIV.org, 2021). The government also works with the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration to disseminate information on HIV/AID and best practices to avoid its spread. The U.S. Department of State, through the office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy (OGAC), ensures the implementation of US HIV /AIDS efforts internationally. The other government departments it works with include the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Office of Global Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of Defense, among others (HIV.org, 2021). Most government departments are working together to ensure that PEPFAR lowers HIV infections in the U.S.
Investigations, Research Studies, and Surveillance Data Analyses on HIV/AIDS
Pleuhs et al. (2020) researched the barriers that healthcare providers in the U.S. face when it comes to prescribing PrEP. The study established that health providers had a limited understanding of PrEP guidelines. They were also concerned about patient adherence, the cost of PrEP, and follow-up care. Adimora et al. (2020) examined HIV prevalence among women. They established that women must be included in clinical research to improve prevention and treatment efforts. The study also established that institutions should begin by eliminating gender inequities, structural violence, and discrimination to address the rising HIV prevalence among women.
Emergence and Re-Emergence of HIV/AIDS
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 34,800 people were infected with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. in 2019 (The White House, 2021). However, annual infections have generally reduced since the disease hit the United States in the 1980s. According to a CDC data report in 2016, the high number of HIV infections was 68.2 and was linked to male-to-male sexual contact (Linley et al., 2018). Additionally, when evaluated among females, it was 88.6% and was attributed to heterosexual contact.
Government's Findings and Investigations
The U.S. government established that HIV/AIDS prevalence rate could be managed, and as a result, developed various initiatives such as the Federal Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) that sought to lower the number of new HIV infections by 2030. The EHE awards cash to several organizations and HIV/AIDs bureau to help patients who have been newly diagnosed or are not in care receive treatment (HIV.gov, 2023). The money is also used to organize training and technical assistance for people living with HIV/AIDS. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) launched a program dubbed Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) in 1990 after establishing the high HIV/AIDS cases. The program offers support services and direct medical care to patients living with HIV. Client outcomes have improved significantly, but the government sought the assistance of implementation science to enable the program to succeed. According to Psihopaidas et al. (2020), implementation science is critical in HIV prevention and treatment as it ensures practical clinical trials, routine program monitoring, and bench-to-bed-side evaluation. The RWHAP continues to be used t...