World Health Organization (WHO) fears that with more than nine million people living with HIV worldwide, there is still a lack of access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART). And the warning is that greater access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and long-term care is needed to achieve global targets to stop the AIDS epidemic.
In fact, antiretroviral therapy has turned HIV from a life threatening disease into a manageable chronic condition for millions of people, according to WHO, and ART prevents the virus from spreading, helps people with HIV live longer and healthier lives, and is effective in reducing the risk of transmission to others when taken in a systematic manner; even with progress in therapy, there are still patients who face the hardships to be treated and many others who are still unable to get the treatment.
The organization also revealed that inequalities in healthcare access remain one of the biggest challenges. Poor healthcare infrastructure, lack of medicines, social stigma, discrimination, poverty, and continued conflicts continue to limit access to HIV testing and treatment services. And these are particularly acute in low- and middle-income countries where healthcare resources are often stretched.
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The expansion of HIV services is critical not only to better health for our population but also to decrease new infections. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment reduces the amount of virus in the body, which decreases transmission risk and long-term health.
Also in line with this the agency stressed the need to strengthen prevention strategies. This includes raising awareness, safer health practices, increasing HIV testing rates, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for people at high risk and uninterrupted supply of antiretroviral medicines. Community-based healthcare services and public education campaigns are still central to the reach of vulnerable communities.
Worldwide progress in HIV has been significant in the last two decades with millions of lives saved by better access to treatment. But WHO warned progress is uneven, and without sustained investment and international cooperation, the world risks falling behind its goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.
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We have called on governments, healthcare providers, international partners and civil society organizations to work together to close treatment gaps. Investments in better health care systems that will ensure affordable medicines, fair access to care and a safe work environment and a more equitable social climate will help to make sure there is no one left behind.
People living with HIV are afraid of discrimination and thus do not take the test, and they do not seek treatment, which is a huge problem. So it is very important to eradicate stigma in the world of HIV and improve education and rights of people living with HIV in health care.
HIV treatment is a global epidemic. If the WHO's latest warning is true and much progress has been made over the past 20 years, millions still need access to the medicines. Continued global commitment to HIV, increased funding and equitable healthcare delivery will be crucial to ensuring that every person living with HIV has the opportunity to receive life-saving treatment and live a healthy life.
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