Inequality drives Aids enigma
IN Sub-Saharan Africa, adolescent girls and young women were three times more likely to be infected with HIV than boys and men of the same age. The driving factor was inequality.
These are the words of Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, as the world commemorates World Aids Day, today.
This World Aids Day, UNAIDS said it was joining with people living with HIV and communities around the world in one shared call to action: “Equalise”, a call against discrimination in all forms.
“World Aids Day is a moment to honour over 40 million lives lost to Aids, take stock of the Aids response, and commit to ending Aids. We must equalise for women and girls to reduce their HIV risks. Enabling girls to stay in school until they complete secondary education reduces their vulnerability to HIV infection by up to 50%. When we include comprehensive sexuality education and other measures for girls' empowerment then their risk is reduced even further. Discrimination against marginalised people is hurting the HIV response,” Byanyima said.
Experts believe ending the HIV/ Aids epidemic by 2030 could be achieved by overcoming barriers to HIV care and treatment through focusing on priority populations and supporting them through lifelong treatment. Scientists were also looking to improve diagnosis and treatment of HIV-associated fungal infections, which they say are a global threat to human health.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research has funded a new global health research group on HIVassociated fungal infections through the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine as the contracting organisation.
UCT is part of this group, jointly led by Professor Joe Jarvis (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) and Professor Nelesh Govender (Wits University).
The group is named IMPRINT, an acronym for International Mycoses Prevention, Research, Implementation, Networks and Training.
Four HIV-associated fungal infections - cryptococcal meningitis, histoplasmosis, Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) and talaromycosis - were responsible for over 20% of all Aids-related deaths globally, they said. One of their objectives was to implement new, shortcourse treatments for cryptococcal meningitis in routine care in African and South East Asian countries, and to support early work in talaromycosis.
The City of Cape Town highlithed that it has assisted HIV self-screening available at 38 City health facilities. Between April and October 2022, 13 478 patients were assisted with HIV self-screening at City health facilities, returning a positivity rate of 2.3%.
“I remind the public that HIV is essentially a treatable chronic disease, but treatment relies on testing. We understand that stigma remains a big challenge, which is unfortunate, because if we were more tolerant and accepting, more people would get tested.
“So, as part of the education and awareness around World Aids Day 2022, I also challenge one and all to check our prejudice, and be part of the solution,” said City's mayco member for Community Services and Health, Patricia Van der Ross.
City Health has 38 facilities that were offering assisted HIV self-screening, including Albow Gardens, Bloekombos, Bluedowns, Crossroads 1, Delft South, Diep River, Dr Ivan Toms, Eastridge, Factreton, Gugulethu, Hout Bay Main Road, Ikhwezi CDC, Kuyasa, Langa, Luvuyo, Masiphumelele, Matthew Goniwe CDC, Mayenzeke, Mzamomhle, Philippi, Phumlani, Protea Park, Ravensmead, Saxon Sea, Sir Lowry's Pass and Site B Youth Clinic.