Today is World Aids Day and events to raise awareness and commemorate lives lost to the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids) are being mounted.Last year approximately 34 million people worldwide were living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a 17 per cent increase since 2001. The Caribbean still has the second highest regional HIV prevalence after sub-Sahara Africa, although the epidemic has slowed considerably since the mid-1990s.
Unprotected sex is the primary mode of transmission in the Caribbean according to the UNAIDS World Aids Report 2011. Local reports state approximately 20,000 live with the virus in T&T while under 7,000 receive treatment.HIV testing, church services, a fund-raiser golf tournament, community fair and other avenues to raise awareness are part of the planned activities.
In the report's foreword, UNAIDS executive director, Under Secretary General of the United Nations Michel Sidibé said: "We are on the verge of a significant breakthrough in the Aids response."The vision of a world with zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero Aids-related deaths has captured the imagination of diverse partners, stakeholders and people living with and affected by HIV."
Sidibé said new HIV infections had fallen and more people than ever were starting treatment.The report said in the Caribbean region new HIV infections were reduced by a third from 2001 levels.HIV incidence had decreased by an estimated 25 per cent in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica since 2001, while in Haiti it declined by about 12 per cent."Slowing HIV incidence and increasing access to HIV prevention services for pregnant women have led to a steep decline in the number of children newly infected with HIV and in Aids-related deaths among children," the report stated.
The number of people living with HIV also declined slightly since the early 2000's while increased access to antiretroviral therapy has led to a considerable drop in mortality associated with Aids.The number of people dying of Aids-related causes fell to 1.8 million in 2010, from 2.2 million in the mid-2000's.According to new calculations by UNAIDS, 2.5 million deaths have been averted in low and middle-income countries since 1995 due to the introduction of the antiretroviral therapy.
In his World Aids Day message UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said access to HIV prevention services was helping young people, sex workers and their clients, people who injected drugs, men who had sex with men, and transgender people to take control of their health for greater well-being. He said while synergies between prevention and treatment were speeding up progress, greater results were needed to end Aids.
"Financing will be critical to success."I urge all concerned to act on the investment framework put forward by UNAIDS and to fully fund the global investment target of up to $24 billion annually," Ban said.Among the UN's goals for 2015 are that sexual transmission of HIV be reduced by half; all new HIV infections prevented among people who use drugs; universal access to antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV who are eligible for treatment.
HIV-specific needs of women and girls are addressed in at least half of all national HIV responses; and that all people living with HIV and households affected by HIV are addressed in all national social protection strategies and have access to essential care and support.
