Post date: Nov 23, 2010 7:38:42 PM
A United Nations (UN) report finds a steady world-wide decline in the spread of the HIV virus that causes AIDS.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (NOVEMBER 23, 2010) REUTERS - A report released by the joint United Nations (UN) programme on HIV/AIDS on Tuesday (November 23) showed the number of people dying from Aids has significantly decreased as more gain access to treatment.
"UNAIDS is pleased to report that we are getting there. This year we're seeing that fewer people, globally, are becoming infected with HIV, and indeed we have had fewer people dying from Aids. Our vision therefore, as UNAIDS, of zero HIV infections, zero Aids related deaths and zero discrimination is possible -- it is possible that it can be reality," said Professor Sheila Tlou, the director of UNAIDS Regional Support Team For eastern and southern Africa.
The global incidence of HIV infection fell by 19 percent between 1999 and 2009. The decline exceeded 25 percent in 33 countries, including 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Awareness and use of condoms have been cited as the reasons for the decrease in infection rate.
"Aids related deaths have also fallen by nearly 20 percent in the past five years -- from 2.1 million to 2.4 million to 1.8 million in 2009 and the efforts of antiretroviral therapy are really evident, especially in our region of the world, Sub-Saharan Africa where because of access, we have seen 20 percent fewer deaths related to HIV than in 2004 before the expansion of access to antiretroviral treatment," Tlou added.
Meanwhile, Nonkosi Khumalo, the Chairperson of activist group Treatment Action Campaigning, welcomed the findings and said Pope Bennedict's comments on condom use come a little too late.
"I think it has been a long time coming and there has been time wasted dilly dallying around whether Catholics should use condoms or not. But I don't think it's just about Catholics, but the church as a whole has been very slow moving towards that direction," Khumalo said.
"But I think it is a bit too late for the Catholics to now, 2010, wake up and think, you know, we should now say it openly and say people should use condoms because there has been a lot of infections that could have been prevented, that we could not prevent because we hold dearly our values in terms of what the church expects of us. But I think it is taking us forward. I think we should welcome it. I think it is very liberal of the Catholic -- I hope others would follow suit," she added.
The UN found a trend analysis showed a general decline in the percentage of people who have had more than one sexual partner in the past year in sub-Saharan Africa. But the region still accounts for most infections in the world, with an estimated 22.5 million people living with HIV, representing 68 percent of the global burden.
Meanwhile, a South African correctional centre launched a wellness clinic on Tuesday (November 23) in a bid to give HIV positive prisoners easy access to treatment.
Like most prisons in South Africa, Krugersdorp Correctional Services facility is battling with an overcrowding rate of 75 percent with 3,149 inmates, of which 730 are HIV positive.
Officials said it is possible HIV is transmitted through sexual activities among inmates and infected tattoo needles.
"It is a benefit for us as a department because now we issue the ARVs from within and also I think as a department it's a good thing for us because it ensures compliance to the taking in of the treatment by the patients," said Nothemba Nombebe, commissioner at Krugersdorp Correctional Service.
Oscar Makhaza has been living with HIV for the past 12 years. The 34-year-old is serving a 15 year sentence for armed robbery.
He has seen many people dying of HIV related diseases in prison.
"Some are scared to test. It is only when one is critically ill that then they test for HIV. Some leave it too late to test and they die because they catch the disease at an advanced stage," Makhaza said.
While Africa seems to be turning the tide on tackling HIV, the report showed there had been a rise in infections in parts of eastern Europe and Central Asia.