HIV/AIDS: Africa worst hit with 25.6m infected persons, says WHO
· ‘Kogi has 43,000 HIV carriers’
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS with 25.6 million persons already infected with the virus.
WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. MatshidisoMoeti, said this in her message to commemorate this year’s World AIDS Day.
The day is celebrated every December 1 to draw global attention to the disease and remind stakeholders that the virus is still very much around.
According to her, progress has been made in the past decade with new infections reduced by 44 per cent.
AIDS-related deaths have also been reduced by 55 per cent, she added.
Moeti said the theme for this year’s celebration is: Equalise, repeated a plea to everyone to address the inequalities driving the epidemic and holding back progress toward ending AIDS.
The WHO regional director said the progress was made because the global health monitor and its partners advocated and supported the expansion of new HIV prevention and treatment technologies.
The partners, she said, also provided guidance on combination HIV prevention, testing and treatment, and built capacity in countries to improve data availability and quality.
According to her, others efforts include increased access to affordable medicines, diagnostics and health technologies, and support to national HIV treatment catch-up plans in West and Central Africa.
Moeti said the data from WHO on the global HIV response revealed that since the start of COVID-19 and other global crises, progress against the HIV pandemic had wavered, resources had decreased, with millions of lives at risk.
“Four decades into the HIV response, inequalities persist for the most basic services, like testing and treatment.
“For example, HIV prevention programmes reach only 40 per cent of adolescent girls and young women.
“Only one in three key populations, who are particularly vulnerable to HIV, has regular access to HIV prevention services,” she said.
(Nation)
