AIDS Crisis Control in Uganda: The Use of HAART By Dorothy J. N. ...

population groups, especially in terms of age and gender, raise public health concerns, one of which is the potential of passing the virus from mother to child during childbirth (Esu-Williams & Blancard, 2002; Weinberg & Friedland, 1998). Global surveillance statistics show that 1,200 children under age 15 were being infected daily with the virus in 2008 alone, of which 90% lived in resource-constrained nations such as those of sub-Saharan Africa (WHO, 2009a).

Despite the aggravated attack of AIDS on the world population as just illustrated, there have been remarkable innovations in the successful control and treatment of AIDS. As detailed later, the introduction and to a greater extent the successful implementation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) have exonerated those infected with the virus from an AIDS-related automatic death sentence to healthier and extended longevity—if they adhere to medication regimens as well as to healthy lifestyles that reduce the risk of HIV infection, such as abstinence from sex, having only one sex partner, or the regular use of condoms. On the contrary, HAART adherence failure and unsafe sexual practices may undermine public health efforts to control HIV/AIDS morbidity and mortality. This may be particularly true in low-income nations such as those in sub-Saharan Africa, many of which have seen increasing access to HAART since the beginning of the millennium. As elaborated later, this study explores HAART adherence and the effect of anti-HIV drugs on individuals suffering from HIV/AIDS in Uganda.

Defining HIV and AIDS

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is a retrovirus that enters humans and destroys the immune system, causing AIDS. AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and it is the final stage of HIV infection. It is not inherited but acquired after birth with the destruction of the immune system. AIDS is not a single disease but a syndrome diagnosed after manifestations of a number of illnesses that typically affect individuals with weakened immune systems or individuals with a CD4 cell count of 200 or less. CD4 cells are a type of