The World Health Organization celebrates the good results of antiretroviral therapy, but underlines concern about the lack of access to medicines for children living with the virus
New human immunodeficiency virus infections and deaths (HIV), causing the AIDSthey are declining, but not “quickly enough”, according to the assessment of the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom. In a speech at the 12th Conference of the International AIDS Society (IAS), Australia, held this Sunday 23, the health authority also warned that some countries face an increase in the incidence of cases.
“We are facing a world of multiple overlapping crises, including conflict, migration, climate change, which have implications for the response to HIV, especially for fragile and small states,” he said.
The target of HIV is the immune system. As the virus destroys and impairs immune cell function, infected individuals gradually become immunodeficient and less competent to fight infections and some cancers. The most advanced stage of the infection is AIDS, which can currently be controlled with treatment regimens consisting of a combination of antiretroviral drugs (which prevent the virus from replicating/multiplying in the body), which allows people infected with HIV to live a long and healthy life.
According to a WHO statement also released this Sunday, at the end of 2022, 29.8 million of the 39 million people living with HIV were on antiretroviral treatment (76% of the total), with almost three quarters of them (71%) living with the virus undetectable, i.e. with no possibility of transmission due to low viral load (amount of virus present in the blood).
At this year’s conference, the organization took the opportunity to celebrate the good results of the continued use of antiretroviral therapy. The communication is based on a systematic review published in the scientific journal The Lancetwhich analyzed 31 studies published on the subject between 2010 and 2022.
In the analysis, the scientists concluded that there is an “almost zero risk” of sexually transmitted HIV from patients with viral loads of less than 1,000 virus copies per mL. “Importantly, these messages and findings do not apply to mother-to-child transmission. As vertical transmission can occur during pregnancy, i.e. in utero, during delivery or through breastfeeding, the duration and intensity of exposure to viremia (presence of viruses in the blood) are considerably greater than sexual transmission,” they warn.
Children
Children are a major concern of WHO. Although adult patients living with HIV have considerable access to care, only 46% of children with the virus have a viral load considered suppressed. “A reality that needs urgent attention,” says WHO.
Treatment
Recently, a sixth patient was found to be HIV free. While the news is encouraging, more than four decades after the discovery of AIDS, more and more scientists understand that the cure for the virus that causes the disease will be individualized (case by case) and multiple (with a combination of therapies). While this is not the reality, prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of those living with HIV are the best strategies to tackle this epidemic, experts say.
“As we look to the future, let me name three priorities. It’s the same three things that got us here. First, we must continue to harness the power of science to develop new and more powerful tools, maximize their impact, and continue the search for a cure and vaccine,” said Tedros.
“Second, we must continue to listen to and respond to the voices of affected communities in the design and development of tools and programs,” he continued. “And third, we need to keep human rights at the center,” she concluded.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
