Ismaeel Al-Gabery
Yemen Times
AIDS is the last phase of infection of HIV. The word AIDS is an abbreviation of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. HIV is the virus causing AIDS, the ever dangerous disease. If such a virus enters the body it starts destroying the immune system gradually. Consequently, an infected person won't be able to resist any bacteria or virus that may affect his body. The most common places of HIV infection can be found in Africa. An annual report is being issued pertaining to this issue emphasizing the hazards of this disease and ways of protection. The virus is transferred through the sexual intercourse in all its forms, through blood transfer, surgical instruments, toothbrush, etc. Also those also who take narcotics and drugs are exposed to AIDS. In Yemen the flow of refugees has become manifold. What adds fuel to the flame is that our country has received a huge number of refugees to its territories without conducting medical examinations. As a matter of fact these people contact with the Yemeni people in different neighborhoods in Yemeni cities in general and in the capital, Sana'a in particular, and work in different institutions and houses without even giving the health investigations an order to prove that they are free from infected diseases such as AIDS. People in Yemen should know what steps must be taken to address the virus and come up with a comprehensive program that can be supported from both the national authorities as well as the international community. As Yemenis, we have to cooperate with concerned bodies in order to take the following steps to get rid of this fatal disease, or at least to take part in overcoming the disease through:
• Making sure of the health investigations for tourists and outsiders.
• Disseminating public awareness has become very crucial now to hinder the potential explosion of the disease. People in Yemen are lacking knowledge about modes of transmitting the disease. Most of them still believe that living or shaking hands with the infected people will transmit the virus to them. They hold the opinion that infected people should be isolated or even killed. Physicians themselves refuse to treat these people with the exception of a select few. Public awareness is of a pivotal role now. It lets people know that there is no reason to isolate or ignore these people; they can be treated like other ill people. They need respect and compassion.
• Conducting nationwide surveys in order to know the origin of the disease
• Getting rid of all kinds of addiction.
• Strengthening the capacity of health education among school teachers in order to equip students with knowledge on how people should be hygiene conscious, how people can become infected with diseases including hepatitis, HIV/AIDS
The Yemeni political leadership has to break the silence and speak out the problem instead of dealing with it as a national secretive security issue that should not be discussed in a transparent manner. This will help reveal the magnitude of the virus so as a national policy is made to control the disease.

The geographical position of Yemen and the diverse topographical features have given rise to different ecosystem types endowing rise to different ecosystem types endowing the country with high level of Biodiversity.
Thus we find that the flora of Yemen is mixture of the east African high lands, sahara Arabian regions, the Mediterranean regions as well as its own endemic Flora. The main natural habitats and vegetation areas in Yemen can be Summarized. Coasted:
Coastal plains low Altitude Mountains. High altitude mountain high land plains. Eastern/ northeast mountains eastern desert, Socatra island. Over 3000 plant species can be found on the main land of Yemen and about 10% of them are endemic. It's important to note the majority of endemic in Yemen is associated with mountain areas that provide a rich variety of ecological niches and offer a degree of Environment stability during periods of climatic changes. As would be expected a number of plat species are traditionally used for different purposes in Yemen:
Medicinal and aromatic: Medicinal and aromatic plants play traditionally an important role in the lives of most Yemenis who use them as traditional remedies to cure diseases e.g. on the country side. They also use them as cosmetic condiments coloring and flavoring agents.
Bowsing and grazing: such plants include a large number of trees, grasses and weeds that are important to cattle, sheep and goats.
Wood for fuel, most commonly utilizes Acacia spp. Ficus spp ...etc.
Timber for construction.
Sand stabilization: some trees and shrubs are used for sand stabilization in windy dry areas status of fauna: Yemen has a rich and diverse terrestrial fauna because of the wide rung of habitats in the country of three major bio-geographic regions the palearctic afrotropical and oriental regions. Yemen has recorded land animal species are relatively large species which are rare in other parts of Arabia such as the Idmi or Arabian Mountain Gazelle Ibex, Baboon, Arabian Red Fox sand Fax, Blandford's Fox, striped Hyena, Arabian wolf, Jackal, Arabian leopard and possibly the cheetah. Yemen is also very rich bird life with more than 363 species thus for recorded representing 18 orders, 61 families and 177 genre. It is home to a large number of species that are epidemic to southwest Arabia. For a country to be so richly endowed with endemic birds adds greatly to its international significance. With the exception of the Arabian Golden sparrow all endemic species occur in the highlands. The demise of the terracing systems could adversely affect several of the endemic as a result of soil erosion and loss of trees. Threats to terrestrial Biodiversity of Yemen.

A: Threats to Flora:
Yemen's vegetation cover is being drastically reduces by a rapid degradation of the Environment through human in pact and global phenomena such as increased temperature, reduced rainfall through deforestation at the African mainland. It's believed that drought and desertification threatens 90% the land area and are attributed to following causes:
Excessive mechanical cultivation for agriculture, urbanization, infrastructure building roads.
Poor agricultural practices "Use of herbicides"
Over cutting of trees for firewood timber and charcoal.
Over grazing and over browsing of all classes of livestock.
Expansion of housing in and around cities Villages.
Wind erosion and sand dune encroachment.
Soil salinization due to excessive irrigation.

B: threats to fauna
The treats to the terrestrial fauna of Yemen are similar to those faced by animals in most countries of the middle East region and include:
1-Loss of habitual through degradation of local vegetation.
2-over hunting of mammals and birds as a result of the proliferation of firearms and lack of enforceable hunting legislation.
3-construction of roads that open the way for destruction of distant areas.
4-increased construction of houses.

C: threats to the quantity and quality of freshwater:
1-over use and hence depletion of water source.
2-degradation of wet land ecosystem.
3-improper and excessive application of poisonous pesticides.
4-excessive use of chemical fertilizers.
5-contamination of ecosystems with untreated human sewage.

Recommendation:
1-establishment and managing protected areas including Trans-boundary reserves with neighboring countries.
2-Raising public awareness of the value of protected area and biodiversity.
3-preparing and implementing appropriate places legislations for biodiversity conservation and management.
4-Developing and implementing appropriate rang management practices.
5-Reviving traditional resource management systems.
6-providing training for Government MGO's and community groups in natural resource and protected area management.

The main environmental problems in Yemen are:
•Increase the population density.
•Depletion of ground water resource.
•Desertification.
•Marine pollution.
•Continuos destruction of Biodiversity

The health status of people in Yemen is generally poor. With the exception of higher income groups in major urban areas, the population still suffers from high morbidity and mortality rates. Although accurate data on specific disease prevalence are not available, limited surveys suggests that the country has only entered the first state of epidemiological transition. At this stage, mothers and small children are especially at risk while older children and the adult population suffer form a variety of infectious diseases that impair their well-being and undermine labor productivity.
Present information indicates a maternal mortality rate of about 9 to 14 per 1,000 live births, an infant mortality rate of 80, and an under 5 mortality of 130 per 1,000 live births. These rates would be similar to those in many other LDCs, with maternal mortality higher than the average in LDCs, and infant and under 5 mortality somewhat lower.
Maternal mortality in Yemen is one of the highest in the world. With an average fertility rate 6 live births per woman, the cumulative risk of mothers dying during childbirth is 5 to 11 percent. Leading causes are complications during pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium as well as anemia malnutrition, tetanus infection and other endemic diseases (e.g. malaria). Still birth rates which are indicative of the health of mothers, are also high. Moreover, pregnancies are frequently followed by maternal morbidity caused mainly by vaginal fistula, ruptured uterus from neglected obstructed labor, and pelvic inflammatory diseases. Other causes are child bearing at a young age, short birth intervals, poor pre- and post-natal care, and unhygienic environment during delivery.