Promising new data on HIV epidemic emerges from Sub-Saharan Africa
By Akeem Abas
Data
Ibadan, July 25, 2018 (NAN) Researchers and public health experts have presented promising new data on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic and response from Sub-Saharan Africa.
This is contained in a statement issued at the 22nd International AIDS Conference (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome 2018) in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ibadan said.
NAN reports that the conference, which is the largest gathering on HIV and AIDS in the world is organised by the International AIDS Society (IAS).
Prof. Linda-Gail Bekker, IAS President and International Chair of AIDS 2018, said despite extraordinary progress, HIV remained a serious threat to lives of millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“The data presented today underscore both the urgent need and the opportunity to invest in expanded HIV prevention and treatment programmes that can turn back the epidemic in Africa,” she said.
Bekker said that data from multiple countries revealed the impact of enhanced prevention and treatment efforts.
Aleya Khalifa from UNICEF said a study noted that reducing HIV burden among young people in sub-Saharan Africa would require better access to HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health, likewise targeted testing services.
Khalifa said that analysis conducted by UNICEF estimated that 9.6 million young people aged 15-24 years would be newly infected with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa between 2017 and 2050.
“The continued toll of HIV among young people reflects the rapidly growing youth population in the region, which is expected to increase by 85 per cent by 2050.
“There is slow decline in HIV incidence in this group has fallen by some three per cent per year since 2010,’’ she said.
Bernard Haufiku, Namibian Minister of Health and Social Services, noted that Namibia surpassed the UNAIDS goal of achieving 73 per cent viral suppression by 2020.
He stated that a population-level study in Namibia revealed that 77 per cent of people living with HIV in the country were virally suppressed; adding the HIV level in their blood fell to low levels.
Haufiku said the viral suppression indicated that people living with HIV were on successful treatment, saying such improves their health and prevents transmission to others.
“Its success reflects a high-level commitment to HIV treatment. In 2015, Namibia implemented an Acceleration Plan that rapidly scaled up HIV testing and treatment services,” he said.
Diane Havlir from University of California, San Francisco, U.S.A, said a multi-disease approach using streamlined care could rapidly achieve UNAIDS targets for HIV treatment and improve community health.
Havlir said community-cluster randomised study in Uganda and Kenya revealed that enhanced testing and care initiatives for HIV and other diseases could result in significantly higher viral suppression and lower HIV mortality.
“Communities in the study control group received testing and care for HIV-related hypertension and diabetes based on national guidelines.
“Communities in the intervention group received enhanced testing and care for the three diseases, including rapid-start treatment for all people living with HIV.
“After three years, communities receiving enhanced testing and care experienced higher viral suppression and lower HIV mortality, Tuberculosis Bacterium (TB) incidence and uncontrolled hypertension,” Havlir said.
Similarly, Moeketsi Joseph Makhema of the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership said the Ya Tsie Botswana Prevention Project revealed that combination of HIV prevention approach was effective.
“Randomised study in rural and semi-urban communities, found that a package of interventions, including expanded HIV testing, linkage to care, earlier treatment and voluntary male circumcision, led to 30 per cent reduction in HIV incidence,” he said.
Makhena stated that the study had compared outcomes over 30 months from 15 communities receiving the interventions and 15 communities receiving the standard of care.
Velephi Okello of the eSwatini Ministry of Health reported that adopting ‘Universal Test and Treat (UTT)’ led to improved health system performance.
The MaxART study in eSwatini (previously known as Swaziland) provided the world’s first data on the impact of “Universal Test and Treat (UTT)’’ in a government-run national health system.
UTT entails offering antiretroviral treatment to all HIV-positive individuals, regardless of CD4 count.
The study evaluated data from 14 health facilities as they transitioned from the current standard of care to UTT.
Okello stated that the likelihood of achieving viral suppression improved dramatically, with 79 per cent of patients achieving viral suppression under UTT compared with just four per cent under the current standard of care. (NAN)
TAA/GOM/MST
Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Muhammad Suleiman Tola
