AIDS in Africa / Edition 2

by Max Essex, Souleymane Mboup, Phyllis J. Kanki, Richard G. Marlink, Sheila D. Tlou

Overview

The way we deal with AIDS in Africa will All of them take account of the local cultural determine Africa’s future. The devastation context. But they all have something else in wrought by HIV/AIDS on the continent is so common; they stem from a political will to acute that it has become one of the main fight AIDS, and a recognition that facing up obstacles to development itself. AIDS to the problem is the first step towards c- threatens to unravel whole societies, com- quering it. I am convinced that, given that munities, and economies. In this way, AIDS will, every society can do the same. is not only taking away Africa’s present—it We have seen a growing understanding is taking away Africa’s future. of the inextricable link between prevention This crisis requires an unprecedented and treatment, and a conviction that tre- response. It requires communities, nations, ment can work even in the poorest societies. and regions, the public and the private sector, We have seen AIDS drugs become more international organizations and nongovern- available and affordable in poor countries, mental groups to come together in concerted, and scientific progress promises simplified coordinated action. Only when all these treatment regimes. Above all, we have seen a forces join in a common effort will we be able growing understanding that the key is poli- to expand our fight against the epidemic to cal commitment to providing treatment, decrease risk, vulnerability, and impact. All backed up by community involvement.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781475787061
Publisher:	Springer US
Publication date:	04/14/2013
Edition description:	2nd ed. 2002. Softcover reprint of the original 2nd ed. 2002
Pages:	724
Product dimensions:	8.27(w) x 10.98(h) x 0.06(d)

About the Author

Essex, Max, DVM, PhD (Harvard Univ); Mboup, Souleymane, PharmD, PhD (Univ Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal); Kanki, Phyllis J., DVM, SD (Harvard Univ); Kalengayi, Mbowa R., MD, DSc (Univ of Kinshasa Medical School)

The contributors represent a variety of specialties, such as infectious disease, bacteriology/virology, pediatrics, epidemiology, public health, pathology, and neurology. They are international in scope. Many come from Africa, but others come from the U.S., Canada, France, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, and China. Institutions prominently represented include the NIH, World Bank, WHO, Pasteur Institute, Univ of Kinshasa, and Harvard.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Etiology of AIDS.- The Molecular Virology of HIV-1.- Immunopathogenesis of AIDS.- Effect of Genetic Variation on HIV Transmission and Progression to AIDS.- Biology of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 (HIV-2).- Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses and the Origin of HIVs.- Serodiagnosis of HIV Infection.- Molecular Diagnosis of HIV Infection.- Monitoring HIV-1 Subtype Distribution.- Monitoring Viral Load.- Monitoring Immune Function.- The Epidemiology of HIV and AIDS.- Transmission of HIV.- Role of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in HIV-1 Transmission.- Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV.- HIV-1 Subtypes and Recombinants.- Current Estimates and Projections for the Epidemic.- Clinical Diagnosis of AIDS and HIV-Related Diseases.- Antiretroviral Therapy in Resource-Limited Settings.- HIV-1 Drug Resistance.- Opportunistic Infections.- Tuberculosis.- HIV Infection and Cancer.- Challenges and Opportunities for Nurses.- Home-Based Care.- Nutrition and HIV Infection.- Access to HIV and AIDS Care.- Diagnosis of Pediatric HIV Infection.- Treatment of HIV in Children Using Antiretroviral Drugs.- Pediatric Opportunistic Infections.- Male Condoms and Circumcision.- Female Condoms and Microbicides.- Behavioral Change: Goals and Means.- Voluntary Counseling and Testing.- Prevention of Perinatal Transmission of HIV.- Prevention of Breast Milk Transmission of HIV.- Postexposure Prophylaxis for Occupational Exposure and Sexual Assault.- The Need for a Vaccine.- HIV Vaccines Design and Development.- HIV-1 Vaccine Testing, Trial Design, and Ethics.- Regional Variations in the African Epidemics.- Human Rights and HIV/AIDS.- Gender and HIV/AIDS.- The Orphan Crisis.- The Economics of AIDS in Africa.- International Cooperation and Mobilization.

Editorial Reviews

2 Stars from Doody

This book is written by specialists from three continents. Some of the authors are authorities in HIV; others may be well known throughout Africa and in some parts of the WHO community, but they do not have a high visibilty in the U.S. The format is traditional without any unique features. The purpose is apparently (although it is only implied) to highlight unusual or unique features of HIV in Africa. The intended audience is infectious disease specialists and some public health personnel. This book has more than the usual amount of flaws encountered in a multiauthored book. It is not current, with most of its references dating to 1991 or earlier. The quality of the chapters is very uneven; strikingly, almost a third of the book is devoted to HIV knowledge that is not unique to Africa. Put another way, the book is overblown and could have been written in a much more concise fashion with a secondary benefit of reducing its extraordinary price of $160 to something in a morereasonable range. Its scientific content is immediately tarnished by the almost inevitable politicized introduction by a journalist; however, some chapters are quite valuable, especially chapter 5 and most in chapters in section 2. Conversely, there are several very poor chapters, especially the one in which the author provides five good reasons why estimates and projections of HIV in sub-Sahara Africa are almost impossible to make and then proceeds to write 15 pages making projections!Finally, chapter 27 on the economic importance of AIDS is an extraordinary exercise in fantasy. The economics of Africa, per se, are not understood in the least, but the author attempts to relate that non-knowledge to the effects of adisease that is very difficult to predict. Some chapters in this book will be valuable for readers interested in the uniqueness of African AIDS, but other than those, the book is not very useful.

John A. Robinson

An expert detailing of the primary biomedical, epidemiologic, and human realities that characterize the first decade of the AIDS epidemic in Africa. The volume's 33 chapters are organized into six sections: biology and etiology, epidemiology, clinical manifestations and treatments, preventive strategies, social and economic impact, and geographic variations. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

Reviewer: John A. Robinson, MD (Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine)
Description: This book is written by specialists from three continents. Some of the authors are authorities in HIV; others may be well known throughout Africa and in some parts of the WHO community, but they do not have a high visibilty in the U.S. The format is traditional without any unique features.
Purpose: The purpose is apparently (although it is only implied) to highlight unusual or unique features of HIV in Africa.
Audience: The intended audience is infectious disease specialists and some public health personnel.
Features: This book has more than the usual amount of flaws encountered in a multiauthored book. It is not current, with most of its references dating to 1991 or earlier. The quality of the chapters is very uneven; strikingly, almost a third of the book is devoted to HIV knowledge that is not unique to Africa. Put another way, the book is overblown and could have been written in a much more concise fashion with a secondary benefit of reducing its extraordinary price of $160 to something in a morereasonable range. Its scientific content is immediately tarnished by the almost inevitable politicized introduction by a journalist; however, some chapters are quite valuable, especially chapter 5 and most in chapters in section 2. Conversely, there are several very poor chapters, especially the one in which the author provides five good reasons why estimates and projections of HIV in sub-Sahara Africa are almost impossible to make and then proceeds to write 15 pages making projections!Finally, chapter 27 on the economic importance of AIDS is an extraordinary exercise in fantasy. The economics of Africa, per se, are not understood in the least, but the author attempts to relate that non-knowledge to the effects of a disease that is very difficult to predict.
Assessment: Some chapters in this book will be valuable for readers interested in the uniqueness of African AIDS, but other than those, the book is not very useful.

Doody's Review Service

From the reviews:

"This updated and authoritative review of Africa's experience will be helpful to health care providers, researchers, and policy planners, not only in Africa but throughout the world, since Africa has had higher rates of infection and more experience with AIDS than other regions. Summing Up: Recommended. Appropriate for all levels."

(J.M. Howe, AIDS Information Center, VA Headquarters (DC) in Choice, 40:7 (March 2003)

"Written by leading experts in the field, this comprehensive reference book will be of interest to a wide audience of health care providers, researchers, and policy-makers. The authors have succeeded admirably in making technical material highly accessible."

(Jan Bongaarts in Population and Development Review, 29:3 (September 2003)

From the Publisher