Question

Discuss the following factors (when relevant) and how they impact women of Ghana with HIV/AIDS.

1. Environmental factors of water and food insecurity

2. Lack of sanitation

3. War/conflict

4. Globalization

5. Climate change

6. Access to health care and services

Answer 1

1.The number of HIV positive women living in food insecure households increases over time.This women being HIV positive with food and water shortage raise the stress level in Ghanian women.Therefore measures should be initiated to reduce stress in such women libing in a food deprived household.

2Lack of sanitation increases the frequency of illness among the Ghanian Women and affect their lifestyle.Therefore it is necessary that they should be taught about sanitation,tuberculosis,effective handwashing ,breast feeding and foster the need for providing house hold toilets to combat against disease.

3 Conflict often leads to migration and act as a vector for the spread of the disease,the changes in sexual behaviour introduced by conflict,including increased incidence of rape,reduced health provision and support as a result of conflict and the risks introduced in post -conflict settings.During war most people fled to refugee camps which is also a key reason for the spread of HIV.Women in refugee camps are often more vulnerable to rape and other forms of sexual violence.

4 The HIV epidemic has highlighted the global nature of human health and welfare and globalisation has given rise to a trend towards finding common solutions to global health challenges.Though large amounts of funding for health initiatives are being made available ,but the number of HIV infected persons are surging up in Ghana.

5

6 Health care services are also suffering from ineffectiveness of interventions in health care.Inability to afford the cost of treatment and service providers being overwhelmed by the large number of patients patronizing the clinic may have implications for patients taking ART as prescribed and the quality of care.Though women are more susceptible to HIV infection than men ,their acess to HIV treatment is constrained by limits on their mobility,limited control over household resources,poverty,lack of health insurance,social support or fear of stigma.