Manila, November 30 (IANS). The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that the number of HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths is increasing in the Western Pacific region.
According to the organization, this has dealt a blow to the years-long fight against the epidemic.
According to WHO’s regional office in Manila, new HIV infections have increased by eight percent and AIDS-related deaths by 10 percent since 2019. This makes it clear that necessary steps are not being taken regarding prevention, testing, treatment and care of infection for a large population.
While 76 percent of people living with HIV in the region have access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy. “Experts agree that these troubling trends show that much more needs to be done to stop the spread of HIV and prevent deaths related to it,” the UN health agency said in its media release.
According to the report of Xinhua news agency, WHO said that the challenges are greater in the Western Pacific region, where in 2023 alone, 2.3 million people will be infected with HIV, 140,000 new cases of infection were reported and it also resulted in 53,000 deaths.
“Every hour in the Western Pacific, 16 people are infected and six die from HIV-related causes,” it said.
“The rising number of HIV infections and deaths in the Western Pacific is a wake-up call. We must urgently address the barriers that prevent people, especially key populations and their partners,” said Sia Mau Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. prevent access to prevention, treatment and care,”
–IANS
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