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HEALTH

progress in the area. UN Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS, cent of those accessing treatment were
India has pledged to end the AIDS ‘Ending AIDS: Progress towards the virally suppressed (55).
epidemic by 2030 by halting and 90?-90-90 targets’. Among gay men and other men who
reversing it and recently passed a law to In the Asia and the Pacific region, have sex with men living with HIV who
ensure non-discrimination with people the majority of new infections are oc- also were surveyed, 30 per cent knew
living with HIV. The apex court further curring in 10 countries led by India, their HIV status, 68 per cent of those
aided the anti-HIV fight by reading China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietmnam, who knew their HIV status were access-
down Section 377 of the IPC which Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, the Phil- ing treatment, and 78 per cent of those
criminalised same sex relationship ippines, Thailand and Malaysia. on treatment were virally suppressed.
between consenting adults. The section These 10 countries together account-
was leading to HIV burden among men ed for more than 95 per cent of all new he report added that last year, 19.5
having sex with men going unreported HIV infections in the region in 2016. The million of the 36.7 million people
report gives a comprehensive analysis T living with HIV globally had ac-
of the 2014 targets to accelerate pro- cess to treatment and AIDS-related
gress so that by 2020, 90 per cent of all deaths have fallen from 1.9 million in
HIV-infected people know their status, 2005 to one million. With continued
90 per cent of all HIV-diagnosed peo- scale-up, this progress puts the world
ple are accessing antiretroviral therapy on track to reach the global target of
(ART) and 90 per cent of those taking 30 million people on treatment by
2020, according to the report. “We met
the 2015 target of 15 million people on
Nearly eight in every treatment and we are on track to dou-
10 persons living ble that number to 30 million and meet
the 2020 target,” said UNAIDS Execu-
with HIV are tive Director Michel Sidib. “We will con-
under treatment, tinue to scale up to reach everyone in
need and honour our commitment of
according to the leaving no one behind.”
Eastern and southern Africa, which
government data, account for more than half of all peo-
and efforts are ple living with the virus, are leading the
underway to expand way. Since 2010, AIDS-related deaths
there have declined by 42 per cent and
the coverage basket new HIV infections by 29 per cent, in-
cluding a 56 per cent drop in new infec-
tions among children over that period.
ART are virally suppressed. The report described it as a remarkable
The region’s HIV epidemic remains achievement of HIV treatment and pre-
largely concentrated among key popu- vention efforts aimed at putting the re-
lations, including sex workers and their gion on track towards ending epidemic.
as the patients went underground for clients, gay men and other men who In contrast, progress against the tar-
fear of punishment. have sex with men, people who inject gets has been poor in the Middle East,
drugs, and transgender people. The North Africa, Eastern Europe and Cen-
Regional scenario annual number of new HIV infections tral Asia, where AIDS-related deaths
India, China and Pakistan are among in Asia and the Pacific has declined 13 have pointedly risen. Exceptions, how-
the 10 countries that accounted for per cent over the last six years, from ever, include Algeria, Morocco and
more than 95 per cent of all new HIV 310,000 in 2010 to 270,000 in 2016. Belarus, which have increased HIV
infections in the Asia and the Pacific re- The report added that in India, a treatment access from 2010 to 2016.
gion in 2016, according to a UN report. respondent-driven sampling survey The report also shows that globally, 30
Scales have tipped for the first time in across 26 cities found that knowledge per cent of people living with HIV still
the fight against AIDS as more than half of HIV status was 41 per cent among do not know their status, 17.1 million are
of all people living with the HIV virus people living with HIV who inject unable to access ART and more than
now have access to treatment, while drugs. Of those who knew their HIV half are not virally suppressed.
AIDS-related deaths have nearly halved status, only 52 per cent were access-
since 2005, said the report by the Joint ing antiretroviral therapy and 83 per LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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