2022 IB Diploma Extended Essays

other cells to perform their functions in the immune system. T-helper cells are white blood cell lymphocytes that are very important in adaptive immunity as they activate B-cells which are responsible for secreting antibodies and macrophages to kill microbes. HIV damages these cells, leading to a weaker immune system, resulting in the development of AIDS. This is diagnosed when the T-helper cell count falls below 200 cells/mm (plannedparenthood, 2022). HIV is most sexually transmitted, but it can be spread via contact with infected blood, which may occur due to a poor standard of health facilities. In the initial stages of HIV, one may experience flu-like symptoms, but the virus is mostly asymptomatic until it has reached the point of AIDS. Most common symptoms of AIDS, include rapid weight loss, extreme tiredness, pneumonia and sores of the mouth and genitals. It is widely believed that HIV originated from a virus specific to chimpanzees in West Africa during the 1930s and over the decades, it quickly spread throughout Africa (canfar, 2022). It was not until 1996 where it was discovered that HIV medications such as antiretrovirals, could be used to successfully control the virus. These drugs block the proteins created by the host cell that the virus relies on to replicate. This has significantly decreased the number of AIDS related deaths over the decades. However, not all HIV patients in the world have direct access to such treatment due to financial limitations. As shown in figure 2, regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa display real GDP per capita values of less than $5000, reinforcing the extent of poverty. Thus, the impact of such financial limitations can be visually represented in figure 3 where the death rate from HIV/AIDS is significantly larger in regions of low real GDP per capita, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, compared to the rest of the world.

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