HIV/Aids is a modern-day dread disease that affects many people in South Africa and the world. It is a disease that knows no social class, boundaries, age or sexuality. The consequences of being infected also affects more than just the carrier, but also their families, friends and society as a whole.
The HIV virus destroys blood cells called CD4+T cells, which are crucial to the function of the immune system. AIDs develops as a consequence of the HIV virus damaging the host body’s immune system to such an extent that it no longer works. In South Africa, HIV/Aids has reached epidemic proportions, with the country having an extremely high rate of its citizens living with HIV.
Due to the garnering of knowledge and experience, a large percentage of people, in South Africa, are being treated with anti-retroviral medication. Anti-retroviral’s prevent the HIV virus from replicating itself and thus contain the illness and prevent the virus’s ability to damage the host body.
However, anti-retroviral medicines are a lifelong commitment, as the virus is still alive and present in the patient’s body. SouthAfrica.co.za provides insight into this epidemic and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), shedding light on the treatment for HIV-infected citizens in South Africa, as well as the government’s role in providing assistance for those living with HIV/Aids.