a) Origins of the disease

According to Wikipedia Aids is caused by HIV, which originated in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of
Congo around 1920. It is believed that HIV crossed species from chimpanzees to humans, scientists
suggest that this happened during the late 19 th or early 20th century, a time of rapid colonisation in
Africa. Up until 1980’s, it is unknown how many people were infected with HIV and developed AIDS. HIV
was unknown and transmission was not accompanied by noticeable signs or symptoms.

Sporadic cases of AIDS were discovered before 1970, but further investigation and data suggest that the
current epidemic started in the mid to late 1970’s. By 1980s it is believed that HIV may already have
spread to five continents. In this period, about 100000 to 300000 people could have already been
infected. Reseachers agree that HIV evolved from SIV, which means Simian Immunodeficiency Virus. SIV
affected wild ape population of West Central Africa forest.

Some scholars believe in the natural transfer theory also called the hunter theory or the bushmeat
theory. According to this theory SIV was transmitted from an ape or monkey to a hunter or even a
bushmeat vendor. It is believed either a human was either bitten or cut while hunting or butchering the
animal, it is unknown which is correct. Exposure to blood or other bodily fluids of the animal resulted in
the human being infected with the virus. Prior to world war 2 some Sub Saharans Africans were forced
out of the rural areas because of European demand and search for resources. By that time Africans were
not keen to practice agriculture in the jungle, hence they turned to non domesticated animals as their
source of meat. This overexposure to bushmeat and malpractice of butchery increased chances of blood
to blood contact therefore increasing probability of the virus transmission. How the SIV virus would have
transformed into HIV after infection of the hunter or bushmeat vendor from the ape/monkey is still a
debate among scientists.

HIV started in Africa then spread to the whole world. It spread from Democratic Republic of Congo to
Haiti around 1967 by a individual who contracted it, while working in DRC. Another unknown individual
spread the HIV from Haiti to the United states. The vast majority cases outside Sub Saharan Africa can
be traced to that single patient. The HIV virus then spread through out the world. Here in Zimbabwe the
first case was recorded in the mid 1980s. First cases generally resulted in patients seeking assistance for
illments such as respiratory infections, diarrhoea and weight loss. During this period some wealth,well
fed ,children were showing signs of malnutrition, but the cause of this malnutrition was not yet
diagnosed.
 b) Causes of the disease

AIDS is caused by HIV, HIV was caused by SIV. HIV can spread through sexual contact, blood contact,
mother to child during pregnancy, breast feeding and child birth. A person can’t get AIDS if they haven’t
contracted HIV. Healthy individuals have a CD4 count of 500 to 1,500 per cubic millimeter. Without
treatment, HIV continues to multiply and destroy CD4 cells. If a person’s CD4 count falls below 200, they
have AIDS. If someone with HIV develops an opportunistic infection associated with HIV, they can still be
diagnosed with AIDS, even if their CD4 count is above 200.

HIV infects vital cells in the human immune system, such as helper T cells, macrophages, and dendritic
cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through a number of mechanisms, including
pyroptosis of abortively infected T cells, apoptosis of uninfected bystander cells, direct viral killing of
infected cells, and killing of infected CD4+ T cell. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical
level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to
opportunistic infections, leading to the development of AIDS.

It is believed HIV which cause AIDS was caused by SIV. SIV stands for Simian Immunodeficiency Virus.
There is evidence that humans who participate in bushmeat activities, either as hunters or as bushmeat
vendors, commonly acquire SIV. However, SIV is a weak virus, and it is typically destroyed by the human
immune system within weeks of infection. It is thought that several transmissions of the virus from
individual to individual in quick succession are necessary to allow it enough time to mutate into HIV.
Scientists suggest that SIV crossed species from the wild chimpanzee or apes to humans and later on the
virus developed to HIV.

The virus can infect a individual through unprotected sex with an infected person. One can be infected
whether it is vaginal, anal or oral sex. The virus can enter your body through mouth sores, or small tears
that sometimes develop in the rectum during sexual intercourse

It is also caused by use of contaminated needles, syringes or sharp objects that can increase or cause
blood to blood contact. If blood to blood contact occurs with an infected person you will get infected.
For drug injection users HIV can be caused by blood contact through the sharing of needles.In some
cases the virus can be transmitted through blood transfusion. If the blood has not been screened or
tested infections that might attack the patient. Many hospitals now screen the blood supply for HIV so
the risk of this happening is low.

The virus can also spread from mother to child. If a mother is HIV positive there are chances the child
would be positive too. This can happen either during pregnancy, birth and during breast feeding.
Mother’s who are HIV positive and get treatment for the infection during pregnancy can significantly
lower the risk of their babies getting infected too. Breast milk can also be avoided by positive mother’s
by using bottled milk.It is worth noting that HIV can not be spread from one person to another through
vomit, tears, urine, sweat, nasal fluid and even saliva. The virus is transmitted through bodily fluids such
as blood, semen, breast milk, vaginal fluids and anal mucous.
 c) How it has affected the education sector.

When a person is infected with HIV, the body’s immune system weakens and eventually breaks down.
The infected person will then succumb to a deadly disease AIDS. When infected adults die, the
frequently leave ophans behind. The orphan tragedy begins. With parents or guardians dead they end
up not going to school. Some might be due to financial problems while for other it may be lack of
guidance and help to make wise decisions. A study of past events has proven that most orphans, mostly
those from families affected by AIDS drop out of school that non orphans. Children education is visibly
disturbed by loss of their parents or guardians to this disease. Number of children dropping out of
school keep rising this reduce school attendees resulting in schools/classes closing because of lack of
students.

The virus strike mostly the working age population. Deprived of the breadwinner, house holds are left
without the resources to pay school fees and meet educational needs. This has resulted in children
heading households and undertaking income generating activities, leaving school at an early age. Some
orphan children have become prostitutes, bus conductors, thieves instead of going to school, just in
order to feed their siblings. Other orphans are taken in by relatives who end up abusing them and don’t
even send them to school.Some are adopted by poor relatives who too can not send them to school. All
these factors affect the educational sector.

HIV and AIDS has also affected the supply of education through the loss of lives of trained teachers.
Productivity at schools is also reduced due sick teachers suffering from AIDS. This results in pass rate
dropping. Pass rate has also dropped due to loss and sickness of education officers, inspectors,
management personnel and finance officers. The has been closure of classes or schools because of
population decline in catchment areas and the consequent decline enrollments. AIDS has affected
teachers productivity, teacher’s mortality, teacher’s costs and teacher’s stress these inturn affect
education badly.

HIV and AIDS gas also affected availability of resources for education. Government funds that could have
been used for building school, buy textbooks paying teacher have ended up being used by the health
sector to fight against the disease. Funds have been used to pay sick but inactive teachers instead of
paying working and more teachers. NGOs have donated money to help against the disease, funds which
could have been used in the educational sector if the disease did not exist. There has been a reduction in
availability of private resources owing to AIDS, reduction in family incomes and diversion of family
resources for medical care. One international estimate is that because of HIV, global economy growth is
1,4 percent lower than it would have otherwise been.

Within households large resources may be devoted to medicine, special food and cleansing materials for
an AIDS infected person, resources that could have been spent for payment of children education. Other
students go to school weak to the extent that they are unable to participate in school activities, this
being caused by poverty, hunger, sickness since family resource would have been spent caring for the
sick. Other students have not been able to participate in school activities because they spend most of
their time taking care of the infected and ill.
Some students have been traumatized by what the experienced when a member of the family died from
AIDS. That trauma may affect their learning in a negative way, there grades might be poor. At school HIV
positive students can face stigmatisation, resulting in poor grades, absence from school or the student
committing suicide. Some of the students who lost or have an infected parent are mocked by their peers
this affects their mentality and their learning process badly. The process of education is also affected
when students witness death of a classmate or teacher,dying from AIDS. Trauma arising from this
experience can degrade and humiliate a person. It can have a shattering impact on a student stability
and learning capacity

d) Measures that have been taken to mitigate against the disease

Organisations, governments, grassroots groups and WHO are performing important work to stop HIV
and AIDS. Although a cure has not been invented yet for HIV /AIDS, treatments that help and extend life
span for HIV patients have been made. Doctors came up with a pill called TasP. TasP helps someone
living with HIV to keep his/her partner from becoming getting infected too. Another pill doctors came up
with and advise people to use is Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). If someone thinks he has been
exposed to HIV through sex, sharp objects or in the work space, taking PEP within the first 72 hours can
reduce the risk of becoming infected with HIV.

Education seminars are held by organisations, grassroots to teach people how HIV is transmitted and
how to prevent it. Condoms which reduces chances of contracting the virus during sex, are given to
people free if charge. Even students as early as in primary school are taught more about the desease
and prevention methods. In higher tertiary education institutions, students are taught how to stay safe
and free from the virus. Condoms are available free of charge for the students. Companies which
manufacture condoms have been helpful in fighting against HIV and AIDS.

Nowadays blood is screened, to check for infections such as HIV, before transfusion. This has minimised
cases whereby a patient has been transfused with infected blood. Health workers such as nurses,
doctors are required to wear gloves when handling patients to avoid blood to blood contact, which can
transmit the disease. Hospitals do not reuse syringes which can be another method of transmitting HIV.

The government also disapproved and made illegal activities such as prostitution, which according to
research, has been one of the cause of spread of the virus. Religious groups have also done the same.
Many religious groups preach against prostitution, unfaithfulness to a partner, child marriage and
against polygamy, which are some of the few causes of HIV. They also preach against drug use since the
virus can be transmitted through needles by drug users. Government, religious groups and NGOs have
also donated funds to the minister of health to help fight the Virus. NGOs have donated medication,
condoms to poor countries to prevent and stop the spread of HIV.

Doctors encourage males to get circumcised which reduces the risk of getting HIV infection. With help of
local and non local organisations this is done free of charge. Many have done the procedure, helping
mitigate against the spread of HIV. World Health Organisation (WHO) has provided testing kits and pills
like ARVs free of charge. Ways have been done to referring learners in confidence to accessible
voluntary testing and counseling sites. Learners in institutions are informed about condom provision,
accessibility and guidance on use. NGOs have started youth friendly clinics and host radio stations to
teach youths about HIV and AIDS.

Clinics offer testing and counseling for free. They also teach HIV positive pregnant mothers about the
disease and how they can reduce the risk of infecting the baby. The are advised to take treatment during
pregnancy. Some patients suffering from HIV use bottled milk instead of breast milk in order to prevent
infecting the baby

References

1. Cunningham AL, Donaghy H, Harman AN, Kim M, Turville SG (2010). “Manipulation of dendritic
cell function by viruses”. Current Opinion in Microbiology.
2. Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV”. HIV.gov. May 15, 2017. Retrieved December
8, 2017
3. Tang J, Kaslow RA (2003). “The impact of host genetics on HIV infection and disease progression
in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy”. AIDS.
4. Mead MN (2008). “Contaminants in human milk: weighing the risks against the benefits of
breastfeeding”