Ignorant to the AIDS virus(Of the 35 million people currently living with HIV)

Of the 35 million people currently living with HIV, 19 million do not know they are carriers of the AIDS virus. The figure concerns UNAIDS has just released its annual report on HIV and AIDS in the world on the eve of the celebration of the International AIDS Conference to be held next week in Melbourne (Australia).

Is not about whether or not access to treatment, "which is also a right," said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director, "but to access the test for HIV diagnosis." According Sidibé need more 'smart strategies to close the gap between people who know their HIV status and those who do not; thus, these 19 million could access treatment and health services. "

The UNAIDS report shows that when people discover their virological status are able to access treatment. And stress "in sub-Saharan Africa, almost 90% of people who tested positive for HIV have accessed antiretroviral therapy and 76% of people on ART has achieved viral suppression, so it is unlikely to transmit the virus to their partners. "The latest analysis shows that for every 10% increase in treatment coverage fell by 1% in the percentage of new infections among people living with HIV.

For every 10% increase in treatment coverage fell by 1% in the percentage of new infections

In this regard, the report notes that efforts to increase access to treatment are paying off. Only in 2013 more than 2.3 million people were first given access to medicines. This brings the total number of people with access to treatment to almost 13 million. And, based on these estimates, UNAIDS estimates that in 2014 13.950.296 people will be in therapy. "If we accelerate the expansion of treatment in 2020 will be in the corrector path we end the epidemic by 2030." Sidibé stressed that ending the epidemic in 2030 could prevent 18 million new HIV infections and 11.2 million AIDS-related deaths between 2013 and 2030.

Warning Signs

In the current paper draws attention to another fact: the number of infections among men who have sex with men is booming worldwide, a global trend, according to representatives of ONSUIDA, the voice should sound alarm about the ability to control the epidemic.

"There is a global trend that is growing between the epidemic among men who have sex with men. It is happening in all regions without exception, "he said in an interview with EFE Luiz Loures, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS.

The reasons for this happening are multiple and interrelated: On the one hand, more and more men have unprotected sex, "because the new generation has not experienced the epidemic of the eighties." On the other hand, exists and functions antiretroviral treatment and therefore not perceived fear of death after contracting the disease. "There is a certain complacency with the disease, which is very dangerous because it can be deadly," warned Loures.

figures

The document highlights that in general infections have declined. In 2013 between 1.9 and 2.4 million people (2.1 million average) were infected with the virus. Fifteen countries accounted for 75% of new infections: Brazil, Cameroon, China, USA, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Infections decreased by 38% from 2013 to 2001, a drop that was even higher among the population under age, with a fall of 58%. In 2013, about 240,000 children were infected with the virus, compared to the 580,000 who had the virus in 2001.

Access to child treatment

The report shows that while 38% of adults receiving antiretroviral treatment, only 24 percent of children accessed. "Current treatments are not suitable for children. The amount, taste, type. It is very difficult to get children to take it, "said Mariangela Simao, director of gender and UNAIDS prevention. "We are working to develop new, more appropriate treatments for children but it is difficult, because the more children down the infections, are less interested in developing a pharmaceutical product to a market decline," Simao said.

40% in Spain

. Spain is estimated that about 40% of people with HIV are undiagnosed; ie, there are between 30,000 and 40,000 people being infected by unknown virus. This has serious implications. On the one hand, people who are unaware of their diagnosis can not benefit from treatment, thus increasing the risk of morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, the cost of treatment and care of undiagnosed people is greater than if they are diagnosed early. Finally, people diagnosed late may be the source of infection of others. The investigations provide data that indicate that between 54% and 65% of new infections are caused by people who did not know their infection. In addition, the Spanish did not make us somo nothing procivles AIDS test: according to research made ​​by the Spanish Interdisciplinary AIDS Society (SEISIDA), 90% of the Spanish population thinks is "little or no probable 'that can become infected HIV.