Hiv Aids In Australia Essay

Overview

The United States is a major developed country and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more than 1.2 million people in the United States is living with HIV infection and almost 1 in 8 are unaware of their infection ("HIV in the United States: At a Glance," 2015). The amount of newly diagnosed HIV infection in the United States has been at stable. Australia is developed country In Australia the number of people with HIV infection is 25,166. The incidence of new HIV diagnoses has gradually increased over the past 12 years, from 719 diagnoses in 1999 to 1,137 in 2011. There was an 8.2% rise from 2010 to 2011(("HIV and AIDS in Australia," 2014). Rwanda is a global developing country and according to UNAIDS it has a total population of 210,000. There are several things the United States, and Rwanda could learn from Australia lower HIV rates. Australia has one of the lowest HIV infection rates mainly due to its needle and syringe programs. This needle and syringe program is an initiative program aimed a reducing harm, the program offers clean needles and syringes to individuals who use drugs. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends providing 200 sterile needles and syringes per drug injector per year, in order to effectively tackle HIV transmission via this route ("Needle & syringe programs," 2015).

Federal law forbids use of federal funds to support needle exchanges – nonetheless, exchanges operate in 38 states ("Fact Sheet on Needle Exchange Programs," 2015). The U.S. would benefit from implementing needle syringe programs in all states to help reduce HIV rates. In the country of Rwanda drug injecting in widely done, and is not a major contributing factor in becoming HIV positive. Rwanda could benefit from implementing strategies such as helping people obtain condoms, promoting male circumcisions, as well as promoting education across the