The UN is expressing concern over the spread of HIV in Egypt, where the number of new cases is growing by up to 40% annually. They’ve added that the social stigma of HIV is hindering the national efforts and funding to fight the outbreak.
UNAIDS announced at the Nations AIDS Day conference in Cairo that there are over 11,000 cases, while the country’s Health Ministry estimates the figure to be around 7,000. The rise in the number of new infections, however, is not in dispute.
Despite the common misconception, HIV is not the same as AIDS. HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system and it can take up to 10 years after being infected with it to develop into AIDS, which is the condition in which your immune system has been lost.
HIV can be easily be stopped or reduced to an insignificant level with treatment, but due to the lack of awareness and treatment options in Egypt, it eventually leads to the point of AIDS.
HIV is associated with homosexuality or promiscuity in the Egyptian society because it is transmitted sexually; however, it can be spread through contaminated needles or syringes, or blood transfusions. It can also be passed from infected women to their babies at birth.
Consequently, patients who require surgical intervention are often unable to access basic health care at hospitals because of the associated stigma, UNAIDS officials said.
