Topic > Health and Disease in South Africa

South Africa, a developing country, is located in the Eastern Hemisphere, at the southern tip of the African continent. This country was colonized by Great Britain and gained independence after a whites-only referendum in 1961 (“The World Factbook: South Africa”). The country of free enterprise has a hyper-globalist perspective on globalization and demonstrates this by believing that private enterprise is a virtue and that today's trade occurs within transnational corporations and their subsidiaries. Their large supply of natural resources such as gold, diamonds and iron dominates their economy. The growth rate World Factbook: South Africa”). Health and disease in South Africa, particularly acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, also known as AIDS, have severely affected the population. “Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate with over 22 million infected, or nearly 5% of the population” (Robbins, Richard, and Rachel Dowty 2019: 241). At the origin of AIDS, after the Second World War, only a few people were affected, until it spread throughout the world in the late 1970s, causing the infection of thousands of people around the world. AIDS transmission in South Africa is linked to capitalism in ways such as poverty, human and business travel, as well as war. Tourism is one of the largest industries, migration of people increases the possibility of being susceptible to AIDS and other diseases. This puts not only travelers at risk, but also guests of that country (Robbins, Richard, and Rachel Dowty 2019: 242). Male workers seeking business are more likely to spread the disease when traveling from rural to urban areas. “South Africa is known as “The Highway of Death”, truck drivers have a 90% infection rate.” (Gould 1993:75). An example of this is the fact that, when men visit prostitutes who have already been infected with AIDS, they become contaminated, bringing this disease back with them to their villages of origin, favoring the spread of AIDS and plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay War also contributes to the transmission of AIDS through conflict-induced movement of soldiers and refugees (Robbins, Richard, and Rachel). Dowty 2019: 244). South African military campaigns use rape as a popular way to control and victimize an enemy, with most soldiers infected and an increase in sexual activity with multiple partners, along with malnutrition and a stressed immune system. The spread of this disease became increasingly widespread (Garrett 1994:367-368). In the early twenty-first century, AIDS hit peripheral countries hard, and poverty played an important role as programs in poor and rich countries undermined health, sanitation, and education programs in order to pay off sovereign debt (Robbins, Richard and Rachel Dowty 2019: 225). The destruction of health services leads to the emergence and rapid spread of diseases. People in these disadvantaged countries lacked the resources to understand the importance of healthy sexual choices and as a result were infected with all kinds of sexually transmitted diseases, such as AIDS. Today, the South African government has made great efforts to stop AIDS. AIDS-related deaths by launching South Africa's third five-year national strategic plan on sexually transmitted infections, reducing AIDS-related deaths by more than 55% since 2005. The government is also launching programs in locations where the infected population is largest. (UNAIDS: 2017). Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a.