UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

COURSE NAME: DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE 2

COURSE CODE:DS 113

SEMINAR LEADER: DR. SUZANA JOHNY

SEMINAR VENUE: SR 11

SEMINAR HOUR:1300 -1400

GROUP NUMBER:06
S/N NAME REGISTRATION SIGNATURE
NO
1. BARAKA SABA WANDWI 2023-04-13668
2. EZEKIEL SAMWEL COLONELI 2023-04-01477
3. MARIA ISACK NYAMBASO 2023-04-02926
4. JUMANNE MOHAMED FYEKA 2023-04-03546

5. WAKURU BISENDO 2023-04-06785

MASENZA
QUESTION 16.HIV /AIDS is a global diseases but it’s prevalence is higher in Sub-Saharan
Africa than in any other region in the world. Discuss the reasons the measures to reduce the
prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the region.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus which refers to an infection that attacks the
body’s immune system. AIDS stands for Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, HIV belongs to
group of viruses called retroviruses which weakens human immune system hence cause the
breakdown of the human body’s ability to defend itself against infections and other diseases as
result to a person’s health fail, a range of opportunistic infections image, finally overwhelming
the system, this is called AIDS. HIV is mostly spread through sexual contact, sharing needles,
transmission from infected mother to their newborn during pregnancy, labor (delivery process) or
breastfeeding. HIV is a pandemic disease affecting all countries but mostly critical threat to
many Sub – Sahara African countries like Tanzania. World Health Organization (WHO) provides
the statistics which show that 69% or 23.5 million of people live with HIV infection including
both women and men today. Based on Tanzania as one among of sub -Sahara African country
which is mostly negative affected by HIV/ AIDS, the following are some reasons behind the
higher prevalence of HIV / AIDS in it;

Lack of awareness and education, historically about 85% of population in Tanzania are
illiterate in a way that it hindered people’s ability to access health information, understand
preventive measures and make informed decisions about their well – being. According to
Deborah McDonnell (2012) argue that “many individuals are unaware of how HIV is transmitted,
leading to risky behaviors such as unprotected sex and shearing needles. Misinformation and
myths about HIV, such that the virus can be transmitted through casual contact or that its only
affects certain groups, further exacerbate the problem”. Limited access to the comprehensive sex
education means that many people do not understand the importance of using condoms or getting
regularly tested for HIV.

Bad cultural practices, in Tanzania most of people based on their tribes perform different
cultural practices like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Wife inheritance and widow cleansing,
polygamy and multiple partners, early and forced marriage, promiscuity, which act are the source
point of transmission of HIV / AIDS. Again Edward Green (2003) explores various cultural
factors an their impacts on HIV / AIDS prevention efforts, particularly in developing
countries. It delves into how cultural norms practices, and beliefs can either facilitate or hinder
the spread of HIV, offering insights into effective strategies for addressing cultural barriers to
prevention.

Migration and mobility, Migration refers to the movement of people from one place to another
with intention of settling temporarily or permanently in a new location either internally or
externally while mobility refers to the ability or capacity to move freely and easily from one
place to another. Movement of people can facilitate the spread of HIV through increased
exposure to high-risk environments, migrants often move to urban areas where they can live in
high-density conditions hence increasing the likelihood of social interactions. According to Peter
Aggleton (2002) explain “how various social, economic, and cultural factors, including
migration, contributes to the vulnerability to and spread of HIV/AIDS. It delves into the
implications of mobility on health and the complexities surrounding HIV transmission in
different contexts”.

Limited accesses of health care, this refers to the inability of individuals or population to obtain
necessary medical care , including preventive services, diagnosis, treatment and management of
chronic conditions like HIV/AIDS in context of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan continent limited
access to health care can have significant consequences like diagnosis and treatment which can
cause the HIV/AIDS to spread due to delayed access to ant-retroviral therapy(ART) which
essential for managing the disease and prevent transmission and also it became difficult to access
services such as HIV testing, counselling and condom distribution. This can increase the risk of
HIV transmission and other health which faced the sub-Saharan nations and increase the HIV
infection to the majority of people.

Poverty, refers to the state of lacking sufficient resources such as food, clothing, shelter and
access to basic services to meet their basic needs. Poverty can be measured in various ways,
including income, consumption or ability to access basic necessities, its complex issues that can
be influenced by ranges of factors. Much more Ruth Evans (2002) argues that “In sub- Sahara
African countries, poverty has led HIV infection through influenced by the poor or shortage of
basic needs to the people since large number of sub-Saharan people are poor”. Hence, they are
enforced to engage in risky jobs like prostitution and also sex business even migration hence
spreading of HIV/AIDS to spread over the high spaces compared to developed nation which have
good services and economically developed.

As HIV/AIDS is widely spread in many areas, different effects occur so the following are the
measures to be done so as to reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Tanzania.

Women empowerment, refers to the status of women through different factors like education,
awareness, literacy and training. It plays a significant role in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
For instance, through women empowerment, women become economically independently and
financially independent hence reduces women reliance on transactional sea which is significant
risk factor for HIV transmission. Women who can support themselves are less likely to engage in
relationship or behaviors that increase their risk of contracting HIV. Again Sheryl Sandberg
(2013) argues that “women should be given higher salaries and better positions, acknowledging
that women often face backlash for assertive behavior and also highlights the importance of
mentors and sponsors in helping women advance in their carriers”.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART), it lowers the viral load in an infected person’s blood to
undetectable level. ART decreases transmission risk because through undetectable viral lead, the
risk of transmitting HIV to others through sexual contact, blood transfusion or from mother to
child during child birth and breastfeeding is dramatically reduced. According to Clive Evian
(2003) said that “effective management of HIV/ AIDS is by using antiretroviral therapy which
involve the use of antiretroviral drugs to inhibit various stages of the HIV life cycle, thereby
reducing viral load and improving immune functions”. Also, it improves immune functioning
hence allowing people with HIV to live healthier life and lastly it prevents drug resistance caused
by the development of drug resistant strain of HIV.

Access to healthcare, ensuring access to quality healthcare services is crucial in the fight against
HIV/AIDS by promoting widespread HIV testing and counseling services to encourage early
detection and diagnosis of HIV infections, implementing effective PMTCT programs to prevent
the transmission of HIV from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.
Integrating HIV prevention, family planning, and reproductive health services and implementing
targeted intervention for key populations disproportionately affected by HIV, such as sex
workers, men who have sex with men, transgender individuals and people who inject drugs.
More over John Smith (2020) shows that “access to healthcare allows for early detection of HIV
through testing and diagnosis”.

Provision of education and awareness campaigns, it plays a crucial role in preventing new
HIV infections and reducing stigma associated with diseases. By implementing age- appropriate
comprehensive sex education programs and communities, conducting community outreach
programs to raise awareness about HIV prevention, testing and treatment options, utilizing
various media platforms to disseminate accurate and culturally sensitive information about
HIV/AIDS .Addressing HIV related stigma and discrimination through educational campaigns
and promoting behavior change communication strategies that encourage individuals to adopt
safer sexual practices such as consistent condom use, reducing the number of sexual partners and
getting tested for HIV regularly.

Migration and mobility management ,can play a crucial role in addressing HIV/AIDS
infections in sub-Saharan countries by implementing strategies that cater to the unique need of
mobile populations by the following ways like insuring that the human right to the health is
accessible to all include immigrant aligns with the sustainable goals and guides actions related to
HIV/AIDS and migration and also political commitments the adoption and uptake of political
declarations and the technical instruments to migration and refugees and also cross-boarder
continuity of care the African collaboration among African union members and religion
economic commissions ensures that national and regional frame with accommodate the
healthcare to prevent the HIV/AIDS risk relate to mobility

Prohibiting bad cultural practices, can help prevent the spread of HIV infection in several
ways many cultural practices such as traditional circumcision involve unsafe sexual practices that
increase the risk of HIV transmission by prohibiting these practices ,we can reduce the number of
new HIV infections that as result of those activities

Conclusively, reducing HIV transmission has several significant positive effects on individuals,
communities and society as a whole, so the following are them; improved public health,
increased life expectancy, economic benefits due to lowering healthcare costs, enhance social
stability, protection of vulnerable populations, promotion of public health and support for global
health.

REFERENCES:

Clive, E. (2003). Antiretroviral Therapy: A Clinical Guide. Jacana Media. Johannesburg.

Deborah, M. (2012). HIV / AIDS in Sub- Saharan Africa: Understanding the spread and impacts
of a deadly epidemic. ABC-CLIO. Santa Barbara.

Edward, G. (2003). How cultural factors influence the spread of HIV. Havard University press.
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

John, S. (2020). Healthcare Access: Issues, Challenges, and Solutions. Oxford University Press.
Oxford, UK.

Peter, A. (2002). HIV/AIDS: Vulnerability, impacts, and action. Routledge. London, UK.

Ruth, E. (2002). Poverty, HIV, and Barriers to education: Street Children’s Experiences in
Tanzania. Palgrave Macmillan. London, United Kingdom.

Sheryl, S. (2013). Lean In: Women, work, and the Will to lead. Knopf. New York.