Part 1: Summary
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the world (1). Spread through blood, sexual contact, and mother-to-child transmission, the virus attacks the immune system and its capacity to fight various diseases. After 2-5 years of HIV infection, individuals are at risk for the most advanced stage of the infection is Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). There is no cure for the infection, but a cocktail of at least drugs during in antiretroviral therapy (ART) can control viral replication. ART can also be used in prevention of HIV for individuals at risk.
Part 2: Application to Greenhouses
Consider the following diagram to see the many ways that HIV/AIDS can impact agriculture. The complicated network of impacts shows how debilitating the disease can be for food production.
Figure 1. Multi-faceted impacts of HIV/AIDS on the agricultural sector (2)
Part 3: Activity
How common is HIV/AIDS in your region? Have you or anyone you know contracted HIV? What are the social, professional and financial implications of the disease?
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