Winning the battle against HIV/AIDS

World AIDS Day, which will be observed on Saturday, December 1, brings together people from around the world to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate international solidarity in the face of the pandemic. The Day provides an opportunity for public and private partners to spread awareness about the status of the disease and encourage progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care in high-prevalence countries and around the world. This year’s celebration also marks the 30th anniversary of World AIDS Day. The pioneering global health campaign was first initiated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1988.
Many more people with HIV are now receiving life-saving drugs which help to keep the virus under control. But millions of people who need treatment still do not have it. For example, Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most severely-affected part of the world, though some countries there have made impressive efforts in reducing fresh cases. For example, Ethiopia, Malawi and Botswana have achieved big reductions in new infections which show they are capable of controlling the spread of the disease.
In 2015, global leaders signed up to the Sustainable Development Goals, with the aim of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030. The UHC framework now lies at the centre of all health programmes. To complement the global World AIDS Day 2018 campaign, which promotes the theme “Know your status”, the WHO says it will be urging people to know their HIV infection status through testing, and to access HIV prevention, treatment and care services, as well as urging policy-makers to promote a “health for all” agenda for HIV and related health services, such as tuberculosis (TB), hepatitis and Non-Communicable Diseases.
In the Caribbean Region, we can boast of several successes in relation to our HIV response. Programmes to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, reduce new HIV infections and treat people living with the virus have yielded encouraging results. Additionally, the Caribbean is the only developing region that has approached the near-universal coverage of antiretroviral medicines to prevent mother-to-child transmission. Some 79 per cent of pregnant women living with HIV now access treatment to prevent passing on the virus. According to official statistics, the Caribbean leads the world in the rates of its reduction in new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths.
However, here in Guyana, after years of a steady decline in the number of new reported cases of HIV infection among a significantly higher number of persons coming forward to be tested, a rise in new infections is worrying officials. The programmes that have been implemented have resulted in significant progress being made and should certainly be continued; however, they must be adapted as necessary to reflect the new realities.
The Region, including Guyana, cannot become complacent. In order to sustain the advances made and arrest the reversals that are beginning to show up, Governments and international donor partners need to put more money and effort towards ensuring that their HIV programmes can be sustained. For example, more needs to be done to address the prejudice and social inequities that operate to make some people, both more vulnerable to HIV infection and less likely to access prevention, testing, treatment and care services. Young people, men who have sex with men, and sex workers are among the populations that need targeted investments and more protective environments through a combination of social dialogue and increased tolerance.
HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 35 million lives so far. According to WHO, in 2016, one million people died from HIV-related causes globally. There were approximately 36.7 million people living with HIV at the end of 2016 with 1.8 million people becoming newly infected in 2016 globally.
Fifty-four per cent of adults and 43 per cent of children living with HIV are currently receiving lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART). Global ART coverage for pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV is high at 76 per cent. The WHO African Region is the most affected region, with 25.6 million people living with HIV in 2016. The African region also accounts for almost two thirds of the global total of new HIV infections.
According to WHO, it is estimated that currently only 70 per cent of people with HIV know their status. To reach the target of 90 per cent, an additional 7.5 million people need to access HIV testing services. In mid-2017, 20.9 million people living with HIV were receiving ART globally.
While there is no cure for HIV infection, effective antiretroviral (ARV) drugs can control the virus and help prevent transmission so that people with HIV, and those at substantial risk, can enjoy healthy, long and productive lives. International development partners and Governments must continue to do what is necessary to win the battle against HIV/AIDS.