Prevention is always better than cure. Why?3
b) Why a patient dies of HIV-AIDS?
Answers
Answer:
HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed almost 33 million lives so far. However, with increasing access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, including for opportunistic infections, HIV infection has become a manageable chronic health condition, enabling people living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives.
There were an estimated 38.0 million people living with HIV at the end of 2019.
As a result of concerted international efforts to respond to HIV, coverage of services has been steadily increasing. In 2019, 68% of adults and 53% of children living with HIV globally were receiving lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART).
A great majority (85%) of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV also received ART, which not only protects their health, but also ensures prevention of HIV transmission to their newborns.
At the end of 2019, an estimated 81% of people living with HIV knew their status. 67% were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 59% had achieved suppression of the HIV virus with no risk of infecting others; about 30 million adolescent boys and men in East and Southern Africa had received VMMC services.
The number of new people starting treatment is far below expectation due to the reduction in HIV-testing and treatment initiation and ARV disruptions that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. By end 2020, testing and treatment rates showed steady but variable recovery.
Nevertheless, between 2000 and 2019, new HIV infections fell by 39% and HIV-related deaths fell by 51%, with 15.3 million lives saved due to ART. This achievement was the result of great efforts by national HIV programmes supported by civil society and international development partners.