Drastic reduction of HIV new infections

By 2015, the number of new HIV infections is expected to fall by half. This is the defined goal of the United Nations in the current annual report for the United Nations „Fight against AIDS“. That this is not impossible, the new figures show the mortality rates and new infections.

11/21/2012

When the 19th World AIDS Conference started in July this year, many experts, politicians, researchers and physicians were confident. Numerous research papers were presented and advances in medicine pointed to the possibility of early halting of AIDS. „Apparently, the immune disease can be stopped“ was the credo of many participants. In fact, in regions and countries where the immunodeficiency syndrome AIDS is particularly raging, one has „Era of hope“ started, as stated in the 2012 Annual Report of the United Nations Action Against AIDS (Unaids).

Significant decline in new HIV infections
On Tuesday, the experts of the Unaids presented their report to the world public. "The speed of progress is accelerating - what used to take a decade earlier is now reached in 24 months“, reports Michel Sidibé, director of the UN program. It is a clearer one „Decline of new infections with the AIDS virus HIV“. Even though around 2.5 million people worldwide are newly infected with the virus in 2011. However, the new infections in comparison of ten years ago (2001) fell by about 20 percent worldwide.

Noteworthy are also the numbers in some countries. Thus, the number of patients, especially in the states with the most AIDS diseases since 2001, massively reduced. The countries include the African states of Malawi, Botswana and Namibia. South of the Sahara desert, which is one of the main regions of the AIDS epidemic, in 2011, about 25 percent fewer people in the ten-year comparison would have been infected with the AIDS virus. The decline in the Caribbean states is even clearer. Here, about 42 percent fewer people were infected. The Caribbean is one of Africa's most affected regions.

Renate Bähr from the World Population Foundation was delighted with the positive development. The new figures confirm investment in prevention programs. „With education and contraception, the AIDS epidemic can be stemmed and lives can be saved, "said Bähr. And the speaker of the German AIDS aid organization, Holger Wicht, believes „a world without AIDS“. It is however „a question of political will“. "We have therapies, and we have effective prevention strategies, but they need to be used to a much greater extent than they are today."

Every twentieth African man is infected with HIV
However, there are also negative messages. According to the report, there are also areas where the rate of new infections is still rising. Strongly affected are the Middle East and North Africa. Here the experts recorded a full increase „of 35 percent for 10 years“. Worldwide, about 34 million people are infected with the HI virus. The largest proportion of those affected live in the southern part of the Sahara. In terms of the total share, 69 percent of infected people come from this region. Every twentieth human is infected with HIV, according to Unaids. Thus, the region is still the main focus of all efforts.

Improved medical care and the access of modern medicines, however, also significantly reduced the mortality rate in Africa. Globally, about 1.7 million people died of AIDS last year. Thus, 24 percent fewer people succumbed to the disease than in 2005. However, with medical advances, many more people could live longer. Seven million patients have „no access to antiretroviral treatments“.

More efforts against HIV and AIDS
The Unaids appeals: „The international community should continue to promote AIDS and HIV prevention programs“. Only then could the UN goal be achieved to halve the number of new infections by 2015. „In addition, it is important to combat discrimination against HIV sufferers“. Discrimination increases the suffering and life of patients and makes the fight against AIDS more difficult. „If infected people have to fear exclusion and violence, the therapy and containment becomes even more complicated“.

According to the Federal Center for Health Education in Germany currently about 73,000 are infected with the HI virus. A majority of those affected are 80 percent men. According to surveys, about 2,700 people were infected with the dangerous viruses throughout Germany last year. (Sb)

Also read:
Latent HIV infections curable?
AIDS: drug to protect against HIV infection
HIV infections decline worldwide

Picture: Gerd Altmann