Here are 10 things to know about HIV/AIDS as this year ends
- Despite the number of people living with the HIV steadily climbing over time, the global health community has made significant strides in treating and managing the HIV virus and AIDS.
- Deaths from HIV and AIDS have fallen since its peak in 2004, when nearly 2 million people died from the disease.
- Millions of people can now access antiretroviral therapy: a number that has skyrocketed since 2000, when just 611,000 people were able to receive the therapy.
- New HIV infections are down (in 2017, there were 1.8 million new HIV infections, a number that has been steadily declining since its peak in 1996, when there were 3.4 million new infections.)
- TB does remain the leading cause of death for people with HIV and is accounting for about 33% of deaths.
- People living with HIV who do not have TB symptoms need preventative therapy, which lessens the risk of developing TB and reduces death rates by around 40%.
- An estimated 49% of people with HIV and TB are not aware of their condition, and therefore are not accessing therapy.
- Each week, there are around 7,000 women aged 15 to 24 being infected with HIV.
- In sub-Saharan Africa 3 out of the 4 new infections among teenagers aged 15 to 19 are found in girls.
- In 2017, about 75 % of people with HIV knew their status. Among those who knew, 4 in 5 were getting treatment.
For more and up-to-date information go to UNAIDS ( the U.N. agency advocating for a coordinated global response to treating HIV and AIDS).
NEWS: There is a vaginal ring that releases the antiretroviral drug dapivirine to ward off HIV infection. The ring is now going into wider distribution in sub-Saharan Africa, where girls and young women age 15 to 24 accounted for more than 77% of new HIV infections in 2022 (according to UNAIDS).
