GENEVA, 26 NOV — The number of individuals infected with HIV last year recorded the lowest drop since the epidemic peaked in the late 1980s, according to the United Nations (UN).
However, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) warns that the rate of decline is still too slow. A new UNAIDS report shows that around 1.3 million people will be infected with HIV in 2023. That number is more than three times what is needed to meet the UN target of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
According to the report, around 630,000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses last year, the lowest figure since a peak of 2.1 million deaths in 2004. The progress is largely attributed to antiretroviral treatment that effectively reduces the amount of virus in patients’ blood. However, of the nearly 40 million individuals living with HIV worldwide, around 9.3 million are still not receiving treatment.
UNAIDS also reported that 28 countries also recorded an increase in HIV infection cases last year. Efforts to provide preventive treatment, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), in those countries are still far behind.
“Only 15 percent of individuals who need PrEP will receive it in 2023,” according to the report.
UNAIDS also emphasized that discriminatory laws and practices against people living with HIV are a major obstacle in the fight against the disease.
“The world can eradicate AIDS, if the human rights of those living with or affected by HIV are respected, protected and fulfilled, to ensure equitable, accessible and high-quality HIV services,” UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima said in the report. – AFP