EMERGING HEALTH ISSUES (HIV/AIDS)

Edu Delight Tutors 

Subject : Civic Education

Term : First Term

Week: Week 5

Class : SSS 1

Topic : EMERGING ISSUES HEALTH (HIV/AIDS)

 

Previous lesson : COMMUNITY SERVICES AND ITS VALUES 

 

Behavioural objectives : At the end of the lesson, the pupils should be able

• to explain the meaning of emerging health issues
• define HIV
• explain AIDS
• say the effects of these emerging health issues
• suggest ways of overcoming these emerging health issues

Instructional Materials :

Wall charts

Pictures

Related Online Video

Flash Cards

 

Methods of Teaching :

Class Discussion

Group Discussion

Asking Questions

Explanation

Role Modelling

Role Delegation

Reference Materials :

Scheme of Work

Online Information

Textbooks

Content 

A healthy nation is a wealthy nation because health is wealth. Government at various levels have one or two policies in place just to maintain the state of overall health of the country.

At times there may be emerging health issues that bother government at various levels and hence the need to create an avenue to attend to such emerging health issues before it becomes a pandemic.

Before the global outbreak of the recent Covid 19 virus, there have been the issues of AIDS and HIV viruses

 

MEANING OF HIV/AIDS

 

HIV means Human Immune Deficiency Virus

 

AIDS is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

 

AIDS is disease of the human immune system caused by the human immune deficiency virus. That is, AIDS is a virus that weakens or destroys the immune system of the body leaving it prey to may infections that would have been easily suppressed. The immunity is the ability of the body to resist an infection. When the immune of the body is destroyed by this virus, the person can easily catch every disease around him or her. The body will not resist any infection. AIDS is also described as a (slim sickness).

 

HIV is transmitted through direct contact of the blood stream with a bodily fluid containing HIV.

The blood stream with a bodily fluid includes semen, vaginal fluid, and breast milk. It must be known and understood that there is no cure for this disease, preventing infection is the best way to receive the wide spread.

 

CAUSES OF HIV/AIDS

 

HIV/AIDS is transmitted from one person to another through any of these ways:

 

a. Sexual Transmission: -The majority of HIV infections are acquired through unprotected sexual relations between two partners, one of whom has HIV. When a person has many sexual partners, the chances of contracting HIV is very high. During a sexual act, only male or female condoms can reduce the risk of infection with HIV

 

b. Blood Transfusion: The transfusion of infected blood (unscreened blood) causes HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDS) like Gonorrhoea, Herpes, syphilis, Chlamydia, candidasias and Trichomoniasis.

 

c. Mother-to-child Transmission: HIV infected mothers can infect their infants at or before birth. The transmission can also be through breast milk. When the baby sucks the breasts of the mother, he/she contacts the virus. HIV infected mothers should avoid breast-feeding their infant.

 

d. Contaminated Sharp Objects:- the use of contaminated sharp objects like razor, scalpels, glass, blades, syringes, barber clippers, etc. infected by the virus can cause it. However, when these sharp objects are properly sterilized, the infection is rduced.

 

It must be clearly understood that HIV and AIDS cannot be spread through the following ways:

 

i. By handshake

 

ii. By hugging

 

iii. By sharing clothes

 

iv. By eating together with an infected person

 

v. By living in the same residence or house with an infected person.

 

vi. By living in the same residence or house with an infected person.

 

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF AIDS

 

People with AIDS experience these signs and symptoms:

 

a. Prolonged cough: the AIDS patent cough continuously for a very long period of time. The cough does not stop no matter the drug taken.

 

b. Prolonged Diarrhoea: -The stool of the patient is watery and it comes out very often.

 

c. Prolonged Fever and Malaria:- His body temperature is usually very high, again, he is always diagnosed of malaria. Even when malaria drug are given, the malaria is never cured.

 

d. Rashes: – There are lots of red spots on his body. Some of these spots can be found on his tongue.

 

e. Swollen Glands: -A gland is an organ in the body that produced a substance the body needs like hormones, sweat, saliva etc. An example is the pituitary gland. When the glands are swollen, they cannot functions very well

 

f. Weight Loss and General Weakness of the Body : – His weight continues to become less. He cannot explain why he looses weight. Again, he is always weak. He cannot do those things he could do before.

 

g. Loss of Appetite: – He will not have appetite for food. When food is provided, he hardly eats.

 

h. Much Sweating:- the patient sweats regularly especially at night.

 

EFFECTS OF HIV/AIDS

 

a. Death: – When the infection is prolonged, death van occur. In most cases, children end up losing both parents. The children become orphans.

 

b. Depression: – The HID/AIDS patient becomes depressed while the family goes through emotional and psychological torture. He does not feel happy at all.

 

c. Break down of the Immune system:- The immune system of the patient is destroyed. The body cannot protect itself against diseases the patient suffers from every disease available.

 

d. Manpower Los:– When a person has full blown case of AIDS infection, he is no longer productive. This affects the total number of people working in the country.

 

e. Psychological effects: – As there is no cure for AIDS rightnow, no matter how well the parents and relations try the person, must surely die at a certain time. There will be mental torture, anger, frustration and emotional depression in the parents, brothers, sisters and relations of the sufferer.

 

f. Financial duty:- The parents and relations who are shouldering the big financial responsibility of caring for the HID/AIDS patient may not be able to send other members of the family to school. In other words, the family is badly affected economically.

 

PREVENTIVE MEASURES OF HIV/AIDS

 

a. Abstinence: People should avoid having sex before marriage. When they get married, they must remain faithful to their marriage partners. However, if people cannot abstain from sex, they should use latex condom.

 

b. Avoid sharing sharp objects: People should stop sharing needles, syringes, razor, clippers, tooth brushes, manicure sets, sharp combs and chewing sticks.

 

c. Blood Transfusion: – Blood transfusion must be avoided.If it is compulsory that it should be given to a patient, the blood must be screened in a reputable laboratory.

 

d. Enlightenment: – government, non-governmental organisations, civil societies and religious groups should organise seminars, workshops and conference to enlighten people on the dangers of this killer disease

 

e. Test Certificate: – Religious bodies should demand for HIV test certificate before couples can be joined together as husband and wife. Again, would be couples should go for the HIV test on their own so as to know their status.

 

STIGMATIZATION OF HIV/AIDS PATIENTS

 

AIDS patients are treated as outcasts. They are stigmatized and avoided by even their friends. The patients feel ashamed and avoid to appear in the public so as not to be ridiculed, humiliated and discriminated against.

 

The stigmatization of the AIDS patient is due to a number of factors.

 

a. ignorance: Most people do not know the causes of HIV/AIDS. Even when such people near them, they are avoided.

 

b. Punishment from Gods:- In some societies the AIDS patients are believed to have been punished by gods because of their evil deeds. This notion is wrong and should be criticized.

 

c. Promiscuity: – Some people believed that AIDS patient had many sexual relationships with people, hence, the disease. They fail to know that the disease can be caused by other factors apart from having sex.

 

Ways of Helping AIDS /HIV patients 

• Counsel or talk to them let them be available to have open, honest conversations about HIV.
• Listen. Being diagnosed with HIV is life-changing traumatic news but that is not the end of life. There are heart to heart foundations in every government owned General hospital where patients that are living with AIDS /HIV virus are listened to and encourage to live a healthy lifestyle that is based on regular intake of retrovirus drugs
• Learn. …, learn…. and Learn. Being diagnosed with AIDS /HIV is not a death warrant. Learn from health practitioners on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle while you are still taking your drugs and medication regularly. There are reported cases that of people living a healthy life while still living with HIV

 

 

 

Presentation :

The Topic is presented step by step

Step 1 : The class teacher revises the previous topic

Step 2 : The class teacher introduces the new topic

Step 3 :  The class teacher allows the students to give their own contributions and he or she corrects them when the needs arise

 

Evaluation

• What is HIV
• What is AIDS
• Mention four way by which AIDS/ HIV virus is spread or transmitted
• List four ways by which the spread HIV /AIDS can be curbed
• Mention four effects of AIDS /HIV
• Explain four ways by which AIDS /HIV patients may be assisted or helped
• Explaining four benefits of Community Youth Service

 

 

Conclusion

The subject teacher gives out a short comprehensive note of the topic and he or she does the necessary marking