The Evolution of Infectious Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa

Infectious Disease in Africa The earth has been evolving for billions of years, growing in population as well as advancing technologically for thousands of years. Most places are up to speed with the latest and greatest new technology. Africa, however, is struggling to get by without any of these luxuries. They are plagued with disease, contaminated water, and starvation on top of extreme poverty. But, if disease is everywhere--why has it hit Africa the hardest? Well, without the funds necessary to supply medical help, disease in Africa is exponential , much like a weed. Every creature has a natural defense mechanism, an immune system of sorts. This is also true for earth itself; we as humans are like a weed†¦show more content†¦The reason it has become so widespread is because it has been brought over throughtrade ships and transmitted through sailors , but also due to the fact that it evolves very quickly and is easily contracted. AIDs can be transmitted as an STD, through pregnancy, or even through contaminated blood (like in a blood transfusion). â€Å"During 2010 alone, an estimated 1.2 million adults and children died as a result of AIDS- related illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa† (Avert). This disease does not only affect the people, but the whole of Africa: schools, work, hospitals—everyone is afflicted by AIDs in some way or another. The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome affects the households of infected family members in several ways. â€Å"In many cases, the presence of AIDs causes the household to dissolve†¦AIDs strips families of their assets and income earners, further impoverishing the poor† (Avert). The impact that AIDs has on the income of a family is drastic and, as the disease mainly strikes the poorest parts of Africa, the costs of tending to or having the illness â€Å"consumes, on average†¦one-third of a household’s monthly income† (Avert). Because of this, people living in normally low-income households are forced to take up more work, which is dangerous to their health—sleep deprivation, exhaustion, poor work conditions and the like. Children often have to leave their schools and education in order to care for sick familyShow MoreRelatedUnderstanding The Evolution, Life History, And Aids, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome868 Words   |  4 Pageszoonotic diseases that originated in Sub-Saharan Africa. AIDS, the result of HIV, human immunodeficiency virus, has been an ongoing pandemic for decades. Meanwhile, the first Ebola case was recognized in the 1976 and has incurred severe sporadic outbreaks but has been controlled (Rajak, 2015). While both rapidly mutating RNA viruses, several key factors have allowed AIDS, to become a worldwide pandemic while Ebola has been controlled at present (Calmy, 2015). 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