NRS 428 Epidemiology Paper

Sample Answer

Communicable diseases are a global public health concern with huge disease burden to the population. Nurses and other healthcare providers rely mainly on epidemiological data to determine the severity of a disease and prioritize interventions. Epidemiological data also provides insights into the effectiveness of the public health interventions used to address a disease in the population. Therefore, this essay is an epidemiological and nursing analysis of HIV.

Description of the Chosen Disease

HIV is the chosen communicable disease. HIV is a viral disease that attacks the immune system. HIV causes AIDs if left untreated. HIV primarily spreads through contact with body fluids such as blood, vaginal secretion and semen. Currently, HIV does not have a cure. However, patients mainly rely on antiretroviral treatment to suppress the viral load. Most patients affected by HIV show symptoms that start as flu-like symptoms within 2-4 weeks of infection. Some patients may not develop any symptoms. The most common symptoms of HIV include sore throat, fever, night sweats, lymphadenopathy, skin rash, muscle aches, fatigue, chills, weight loss, and mouth ulcers among others(Sullivan et al., 2021).

The demographic of interest is African Americans. African Americans have the highest rate of people with HIV and new diagnoses as compared to other ethnicities and races. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that African Americans account for more than 40% of new HIV infections in the USA. Despite the rate of new HIV infections declining by 8% between 2015 and 2019, it remained stable among the African Americans(CDC, 2022).

Why it is a Reportable Disease

HIV is a reportable disease. First, HIV is an epidemic. It affects a large proportion of the population with potential of a faster spread in the population if non-responsive interventions are not adopted. HIV is also a reportable disease because it provides accurate data for use in monitoring its trend. The data guides in determining public health initiatives and effectiveness of those adopted to curb its spread in the population(Jeffries &Henny, 2019). The data informs about severity of HIV among the population.

Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants of health influence HIV rates in the population. They include social and economic marginalization, systemic inequalities, discrimination, and residential segregation. Social and economic marginalization increases the rate of poverty among the population. The affected experience challenges in accessing the care they need. They also fall prey to sex trafficking and substance abuse. Racism and discrimination are the leading factors contributing to the disproportionate rates of HIV among African Americans.

Racism and discrimination affect access to educational and employment opportunities and the utilization of healthcare services. Sociodemographic factors such as lack of education lowers awareness about the preventive measures and risks associated with HIV(Jeffries &Henny, 2019; Menza et al., 2021). Therefore, addressing social determinants of health is a crucial step in reducing and preventing HIV in the population.

Epidemiological Triangle

The epidemiological triangle is a model used to study health problems. The triangle provides a better understanding of the relationship between factors that contribute to disease spread. The triangle has three vertices that represent the agent, host, and environment. The agent refers to the microorganism that causes the disease. The host is the harbor of the disease. The environment is the external conditions that enable disease transmission. The agent in HIV is HIV virus. The host is an individual infected by the HIV virus(Chammartin et al., 2020; Sullivan et al., 2021).

The environment include engaging in unprotected sex, exposure to infected fluids such as breast milk or saliva, sharing sharp objects with an infected person, and direct transmission from the mother to the fetus in utero.

Special Considerations

Hospitals are mandated to report HIV cases to the CDC for analysis and tracking of trends. The CDC shares the data with its health partners, health departments, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations and academic institutions to inform public health initiatives. Specific populations are highly at a risk of contracting HIV. They include men who have sex with other men, bisexuals, gay, transgender women, youth aged between 13 and 24 years, drug users and abusers, and those involved in sex trade(Chow et al., 2019; Sullivan et al., 2021).

Importance of Demographic Data to Community Health

Demographic data is important to community health. Community health nurses and other stakeholders in health use the data to track trends in health problems in a community. The data can be analyzed to determine if the cases are increasing or decreasing, hence, the adoption of appropriate interventions. Demographic data also provides insights into the effect of social determinants of health on the population. Demographic data such as employment status and level of education provide an accurate picture of the community’s ability to afford the care that they need.

Demographic data also guides the allocation of resources to address the health needs of a community. The data informs the prioritization of the scarce resources to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in the community. Demographic data also helps determine the community’s risk of health problems(Khalatbari-Soltani et al., 2020). For instance, data on age, ethnicity, and medical history can enable public health professionals and healthcare providers to predict the susceptibility of the population to specific health problems and the required interventions for health promotion.

Role of the Community Health Nurse

The community health nurse plays several roles in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. One of the roles is screening suspected cases. Screening enables the identification of the populations affected by a problem. The nurse also reports data. The nurse obtains population specific data such as those on the demographic profile for use in analyzing the health needs of the community members. The nurse also analyzes data to provide detailed understanding of the community health and needs. The analysis may be shared with other stakeholders to guide decision-making.

The community health nurse can integrate the Christian worldview when working with populations affected by HIV. An example is advocating the adoption of interventions that minimize the risk of unintended harm to the patients(Edelman &Kudzma, 2021). The nurse ensures the adopted care interventions for HIV management are evidence-based to prevent and reduce the potential of harm while optimizing outcomes.

National Agency or Organization

The USAID is one of the organizations that addresses HIV burden in global states. The organization provides humanitarian efforts with the aim of saving lives, strengthening democracy in governance, and reducing poverty. The organization focuses mainly on improving the lives of the vulnerable populations in the developing countries. USAID helps patients and families affected by HIV. First, the organization providers the technical expertise and leadership needed in supporting HIV-related programs. It also designs and maintains HIV/AIDs service delivery platforms and programs in collaboration with local partners in member states.

USAID also leads in the provision of HIV/AIDs prevention, treatment, and management guidelines for HIV(usaid.gov, 2023). Therefore, the organization exists to ensure the use of best practices in HIV management and enhance access to HIV care.

Global Implications of the Disease

HIV has considerable global impacts. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), HIV is a serious public health concern that has claimed at least 40.4 million people. Some countries globally report increasing trends in infection, which threaten population health. Estimates show that 39 million people were living with HIV globally in 2022. Two-thirds of this population resides in the African region. HIV-related causes contributed to 630000 deaths in 2022 with 1.3 million people acquiring HIV in the same year. HIV also has immense economic impacts on global states(WHO, 2023).

Governments incur significant costs in providing the treatments that patients with HIV require. For example, it is estimated that the US government spends more than $28 billion annually in responding to HIV. The expenditure is in forms such as Medicare, Social Security benefits, and Medicare. Countries also incur economic losses due to loss of productivity, premature mortalities, and absenteeism among patients and their significant others. Therefore, HIV has significant impacts on global economies. HIV is epidemic to developing countries as compared to the developed nations. For example, Africa accounts for two-thirds of the HIV rates. It also leads in the rate of new HIV infections.

Conclusion

HIV is a viral infection that leads to AIDs if left untreated. HIV does not have a cure. HIV is a reportable disease. Social determinants of health contribute to the development of HIV. The epidemiological triangle can be used to understand the concepts related to HIV. Demographic data is important to community health. Community health nurse plays crucial roles in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. The USAID addresses HIV and reduces its disease burden. HIV has considerable global implications.

References

• CDC. (2022, August 25). HIV and Black/African American People in the U.S. | Fact Sheets | Newsroom | NCHHSTP | CDC. https //www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/fact-sheets/hiv/black-african-american-factsheet.html
• Chammartin, F., Ostinelli, C. H. D., Anastos, K., Jaquet, A., Brazier, E., Brown, S., Dabis, F., Davies, M.-A., Duda, S. N., Malateste, K., Nash, D., Wools-Kaloustian, K., Groote, P. M. von, & Egger, M. (2020). International epidemiology databases to evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) in sub-Saharan Africa, 2012–2019.BMJ Open, 10(5), e035246. https //doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035246
• Chow, E. P. F., Grulich, A. E., & Fairley, C. K. (2019).Epidemiology and prevention of sexually transmitted infections in men who have sex with men at risk of HIV.The Lancet HIV, 6(6), e396–e405. https //doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3018(19)30043-8
• Edelman, C., &Kudzma, E. C. (2021).Health Promotion Throughout the Life Span—E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
• Jeffries, W. L., &Henny, K. D. (2019). From Epidemiology to Action The Case for Addressing Social Determinants of Health to End HIV in the Southern United States. AIDS and Behavior, 23(3), 340–346. https //doi.org/10.1007/s10461-019-02687-2
• Khalatbari-Soltani, S., Cumming, R. C., Delpierre, C., & Kelly-Irving, M. (2020).Importance of collecting data on socioeconomic determinants from the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak onwards.J Epidemiol Community Health, 74(8), 620–623. https //doi.org/10.1136/jech-2020-214297
• Menza, T. W., Hixson, L. K., Lipira, L., &Drach, L. (2021). Social Determinants of Health and Care Outcomes Among People With HIV in the United States. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 8(7), ofab330. https //doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofab330
• Sullivan, P. S., Johnson, A. S., Pembleton, E. S., Stephenson, R., Justice, A. C., Althoff, K. N., Bradley, H., Castel, A. D., Oster, A. M., Rosenberg, E. S., Mayer, K. H., &Beyrer, C. (2021). Epidemiology of HIV in the USA Epidemic burden, inequities, contexts, and responses. The Lancet, 397(10279), 1095–1106. https //doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00395-0
• usaid.gov. (2023, June 15).HIV Prevention, Care & Treatment | Basic Page.U.S. Agency for International Development. https //www.usaid.gov/global-health/health-areas/hiv-and-aids/technical-areas/prevention-care-treatment
• WHO.(2023). HIV and AIDS. https //www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids