HIV/AIDS and the Nigerian Community

What is HIV?

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the body's immune system rendering it susceptible to infection. Both viral and bacterial infections that would be trivial in others can be life threatening in people with advanced HIV. When HIV has weakened the immune system enough to allow specific infections or other specific conditions then the person is said to have Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

HIV and Nigeria

There are 3.3 million people in Nigeria with HIV (Federal Ministry of health survey 2003). 57 % of these are women. This means that Nigeria has the third largest number of people in the world with HIV after South Africa and India. The prevalence varies by state from 1.2% to 12 %. The overall prevalence is 5% and the highest rates of new infection are in young adults between the ages of 15 and 25.

80% of new cases in Nigeria are from unprotected heterosexual sex, 10% are due to contaminated blood and the rest are mainly mother to child transmission.

There are many reasons why HIV is so common in Nigeria but perhaps the most important is the lack of sexual health information and education, although this is now changing in some schools, the above figures show the need to teach young people about safe sex before they become sexually active.

Living with HIV

In the 1980s and early 90s there were few effective treatments for HIV. Over the last 10 years we have moved away from single drug treatment (because of the risk of resistance) to multi drug treatment (highly active anti-retroviral therapy – HAART). HIV, at least where treatment is available, is changing from a death sentence to a chronic disease that with appropriate management allows the sufferer to lead a productive and fulfilling life.

A major problem for many patients is that of stigma, few feel able to tell their family or close friends about their diagnosis. Many people still feel that HIV is different to other chronic diseases such as diabetes or hepatitis and that the patients with this disease must somehow be guilty of immoral behavior.

Children with HIV

Since the advent of multi-drug therapy (HAART) in the late 90s the lives of children with HIV in countries where these drugs are available has changed dramatically. These children attend school and live normal lives. They are seen at the hospital every three months. The hope and expectation is that they may have a normal life expectancy.

How can I avoid catching / spreading HIV?

If you don't know you or your partner's infection status using a condom is the only way to prevent you catching or spreading the disease.

For pregnant women an HIV test and appropriate management allow you to decrease the chance of spreading the disease to your child from one in three to less than one in a hundred.

Contacts

NAM – for further information: www.aidsmap.com Tel 0207 8400050

Umoja : Tel 0208 379 8088

Body and soul – support for families, children and teenagers: www.bodyandsoulcharity.org 0207 3837678

Terence Higgins Trust : www.tht.org.uk Tel: 0845 122 1200

Pan African and Carribean Sexual Health Project (PACSH) – www.paho.org/ Project Tel 0208 801 9224

The Author, Justin Daniels, is a Consultant Paediatrician caring for children with HIV in London.