Goal: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
- Target 6.A: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
- Target 6.B: Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it
- Target 6.C: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases
Sri Lanka compared to the rest of Southern Asia has a much lower HIV/AIDS rate. The infection rate for people ages 15-49 is currently less than 1%. In 2009 there were approximately 3000 cases of AIDS. In 2011 there were 1,463 reported cases and 253 deaths from HIV/AIDS. http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/07/10/hiv-aids-sri-lanka
Why the AIDS epidemic still exists:
- Low condom use
- Commercial sex (having male or female sex workers)
- Lack of sex education
- Injecting drug users
- Mother to child transmission
- Uncoordinated nongovernmental organization work
Solutions:
- After a national survey in 2005 found that a number of Sri Lankan young people were very uneducated about the spread of HIV/AIDS and STD's. In order to combat the low levels of awareness a weekly radio program called "Kasungira Radio" was produced by young people for young people. It discusses issues of reproductive health, life skills, and other education that is not discussed in homes or classrooms.http://www.unicef.org/srilanka/activities_1748.htm
- The national STD and AIDS Control Program (NSACP) works with the media to improve the awareness of HIV and helps care for people who have HIV. They have also worked with the National Blood Transfusion Services to collect more voluntary blood samples to see what part of the population is positive and to help them.
- From 1998 to 2002 the World Bank provided 1 million dollars of support to Sri Lanka's HIV/STD health services project. The World Bank also helped provide technical assistance. They also provided social mapping to better understand behaviors and provide estimates of HIV prevalence in the area
This image is related to NSACP http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/07/10/hiv-aids-sri-lanka
Question: List 3 reasons why HIV/AIDS still exists
Question: List 3 reasons why HIV/AIDS still exists