The global death toll from AIDS has fallen in recent years, and it is estimated to drop further with new guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and related efforts.
WHO released last Wednesday the new guidelines aimed at having all HIV-positive patients start antiretroviral treatment therapy (ART) immediately as all limitations on eligibility are removed. It calls for treatment for all individuals with HIV regardless of CD4 count, the level of T-cells protecting the body from infection.
“This is a dramatic shift from existing WHO guidelines that recommend ART for those with compromised immune systems (CD4 counts less than 500) and other vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant women, and people with TB,” said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a press release.
The new guidelines also recommend daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as an added preventive measure for those who are at a high risk of contracting HIV.
The annual death rate from AIDS was 1.5 million in 2013, a 35 percent drop from the peak of 2.4 million back in 2005.
According to Gottfried Hirnschall, the new guidelines are part of meeting UNAIDS’ goal of 90-90-90: 90 percent of HIV-positive people know their status; 90 percent are on ART; and 90 percent of those on ART have undetectable viral loads, which studies show lowers the patient’s chance of transmitting the virus to almost zero.
The goal is toward 2030, with one of the sub-goals of the sustainable development goals (SDG) is to “end HIV as a public health threat,” said Hirnschall.
The Obama administration also recently announced a $300 million program to drastically reduce HIV infection among girls and young women in 10 sub-Saharan African countries. The aim is to reduce the infection by 25 percent in women ages 15 to 24 by end of 2016 and achieve a 40 percent decrease by end of 2017.
At the United Nations headquarters in New York on the eve of the 70th United Nations General Assembly, African leaders pledged support and commitment to the UNAIDS. Malawi and Kenyan governments lead the campaign.
"We believe we are on the right track, but reaching the fast targets won't be easy, we must expand and scale up HIV services,” said Malawi President Peter Mutharika in his statement.
Michele Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS, believes the AIDS epidemic can be ended within the next 15 years, calling for implementation methods that are “smart, efficient, sustainable, and most importantly, people centered."
Photo: Jon Rawlinson | Flickr
