Times Of Swaziland: AIDS related deaths fall drastically

AIDS related deaths fall drastically
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BY ZWELIHLE SUKATI on 10/08/2013 00:53:00


MBABANE – Swaziland is among the Southern African countries whose AIDS related
deaths have fallen drastically over the past couple of years.
The decline in AIDS related deaths has been attributed largely due to the
widespread roll out of antiretroviral therapy which increased from 625 000 in
2005 to 6.3 million in 2012.
This is according to a new report by the Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa which
shows that AIDS-related deaths are continuing to decline as access to
antiretroviral therapy increases across the region.
A 10-fold increase in access to antiretroviral therapy has contributed to
significant decline in AIDS-related mortality and an average increase in life
expectancy across the region.
Several countries, including Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Zambia
and Zimbabwe saw a reduction at least 50 per cent in the number of AIDS-related
deaths since 2005.
The report also outlines that TB/HIV related deaths also decreased by about 30
per cent from the peak in the mid 2000’s.
The number of people living with HIV accessing antiretro-viral therapy increased
drastically, with coverage reaching particularly high levels in several
countries including Botswana, Namibia, Rwanda, Swaziland and Zambia.
“Countries in Eastern and Southern Africa are making great strides in
responding to HIV. This is good news fewer people are dying of AIDS and fewer
are becoming infected with the virus. It’s time to intensify our collective
efforts to build on the progress and tremendous hope that has been brought to
people across the region,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé.
The report, Getting to Zero: the HIV epidemic in Eastern and Southern Africa,
highlights that the number of new HIV infections among children were reduced by
half from 2001 to 2011 and new infections among adults aged 15-49 reduced by a
third.
Services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV increased to 72 per cent
in 2011 allowing nearly 700 000 pregnant women living with HIV access to
medicines to keep their babies free from HIV––100 000 more than just one
year earlier.
HIV prevalence among young women and men (aged 15–24 years) declined by 40 per
cent in 2011 compared to a decade earlier. However, new infections among young
people remain particularly high––450 000 in 2011. The report also shows that
young women (between 15–24 years old) are particularly affected. Estimated HIV
prevalence among young people was 4.5 per cent in 2011––more than double the
prevalence among young men.
“At the core of the high infections among women is not just the biological
make-up of women, but negative social norms and excessive violation of their
basic human rights,” said Michaela Clayton Director of AIDS and Rights
Alliance for Southern Africa. “We have to put in place and effectively
implement laws and policies that protect women and ensure that they have access
to education that integrates health and sexuality education,” it has been
stated.