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India’s Critical Role in Ending AIDS by 2030
Context:
The UNAIDS director for the Asia Pacific and other regions emphasised that achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is unlikely without significant contributions from India.
More on News:
India has shown a strong commitment to combating HIV/AIDS, with new HIV infections decreasing by 44% and AIDS-related deaths decreasing by nearly 80% between 2010 and 2023—outpacing the global average.
What Is HIV/AIDS?
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a virus that specifically attacks the immune system, targeting cells that are essential for fighting infections.
- The virus is primarily transmitted through contact with certain bodily fluids, most commonly via unprotected sexual intercourse or by sharing injection drug equipment.
- If left untreated, HIV can progress to AIDS (Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), which is a more severe condition characterised by a significantly weakened immune system.
- A person is diagnosed with AIDS when:
- Their CD4 cell count falls below 200 cells/mm³ of blood. For a healthy immune system, CD4 counts typically range between 500 and 1,600 cells/mm³.
- They develop one or more opportunistic infections, regardless of their CD4 count.
Challenges:
- Despite these successes, challenges remain. In 2023, approximately 68,000 new HIV infections were reported in India, indicating that around 185 people were infected each day.
- To close this gap, UNAIDS stresses the importance of focusing on specific states and districts where the prevalence of HIV is higher.
Key Strategies for Success:
- Prevention is Key: UNAIDS Director emphasises that prevention must be at the forefront of India’s HIV response.
- Every new infection means a person requires lifelong treatment, making prevention crucial for a sustainable HIV response.
- Community-Led Initiatives: The global AIDS strategy calls for 80% of prevention services to be delivered by community-led organisations.
- These organisations are best positioned to reach key populations and need the right resources and support to lead effectively.
- Sustainable Health Systems: Planning for long-term sustainability beyond 2030 is essential.
- This involves ensuring that health systems for HIV and general health are co-designed and co-implemented by communities and civil society to respond to people’s needs.
- Access to New Treatments: Continued progress in reducing AIDS-related deaths relies on expanding access to new treatments and ensuring that people living with HIV receive the care they need.
90-90-90 Principle
- The 90-90-90 strategy was introduced by the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2013 as a global goal to tackle the HIV epidemic.
- The initiative aimed for significant milestones to be reached by 2020:
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- 90% of people living with HIV will know their HIV status. This goal emphasises the importance of widespread testing and awareness, ensuring that the majority of those infected are diagnosed.
- 90% of those diagnosed with HIV will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART). This means that once diagnosed, individuals will have access to effective treatment to manage their condition.
- 90% of those on ART will achieve viral suppression. This indicates that the treatment is effective enough to reduce the viral load to undetectable levels, significantly lowering the risk of transmission to others.
- The 90-90-90 strategy is grounded in the principle of “test and treat,” which highlights that early identification and timely treatment can prevent further transmission of the virus.
- By ensuring that a high percentage of people living with HIV are diagnosed and treated, the strategy aims to reduce overall incidence at the population level and move closer to controlling the HIV epidemic.