Triple Threat: HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, and the Impact on Military Forces in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Military forces in Sub-Saharan Africa, including peacekeepers, rank among the highest population groups most affected by sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.1 These individuals are called upon to protect national security from threats such as terrorism, crime, internal and external conflict; serving at home and across national borders. For armed forces personnel, several key factors make them vulnerable to STIs: the work environment, mobility, and age. These risk factors expose all the population to HIV/AIDS infection, military and civilians. According to the Joint UN Program on AIDS (UNAIDS), soldiers are two to five times more likely to contract STIs than the civilian population. In fact, during conflict, the rate of STI infection can increase significantly.2 In some African countries, the rates of HIV infection among the military are estimated to be as high as 50 to 60 percent.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2010
Accession Number
AD1020174

Entities

People

  • Ada M. Collier

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
  • Air Force
  • Coinfection
  • Foreign Relations
  • Hiv Infections
  • Human Behavior
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Science
  • Military Training
  • National Security
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases
  • Unified Combatant Commands
  • United States Africa Command
  • Viruses

Readers

  • Infectious Disease/Epidemiology
  • International Relations, focusing on Korea-Africa and North Korea-South Korea relations, and Nigeria-Latin American Relations.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.