Alarm rings in Asia Pacific for not making U-equals-U and HIV prevention accessible to all
SHOBHA SHUKLA - CNS
Asia Pacific governments need to do a LOT more to ensure everyone has full access to HIV combination prevention and all people with HIV are enjoying U-equals-U and staying healthy
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The latest 2024 data from United Nations joint programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) show that highest number of people who got newly infected with HIV in Asia and the Pacific region in 2023, were linked to those who do not know that they were HIV positive, followed by those who were diagnosed but not able to access treatment, or not virally suppressed. Governments have failed to ensure that every person living with HIV receives lifesaving antiretroviral therapy and remains virally suppressed. If a person is virally suppressed, then there is no risk of any HIV transmission linked to this person, as per the World Health Organization (WHO).
"One of the key approaches of the global AIDS strategy is #UequalsU (or Undetectable Equals Untransmittable). This means that when a person living with HIV takes their medicines then level of virus in their blood is undetectable - and - there is zero chance that they can transmit the virus - that is why it is often referred to as Undetectable Equals Untransmittable or U-equals-U. Lower the viral load is, lower is the chance of transmission. The new UNAIDS global report 2024 contains evidence that further proves this," said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia region as well as for Asia and the Pacific region. He was speaking from 25th International AIDS Conference or AIDS 2024.
The UNAIDS report contains evidence that most HIV transmissions occur with people who do not know their status. There are also relatively high levels of infection linked to those who are diagnosed but not on treatment, and people who are on treatment but have not yet achieved viral suppression.
"We have a moral and public health imperative to help people learn their status, start them on treatment right away if they are positive, and ensure the treatment works completely, and that they can access it throughout their lives. Then we will see U-equals-U become a reality for many more people and this will have a significant impact on direction of the epidemic," said Eamonn Murphy. "When people test negative, they must be offered a range of prevention options so they can stay negative. With the proven prevention and treatment options available, this slow progress in reducing new infections is unacceptable."
Asia Pacific seriously underperforms in responding to HIV
"The number of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths in 2023 in Asia and the Pacific region have shown no significant change between 2022 and 2023. This is a serious warning sign that the momentum has been lost and more has to be done to serve the people as our HIV prevention and treatment services are not yet reaching everyone," remarked Eamonn Murphy.
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