Namibia close to reaching HIV targets
Namibia is one of 13 African countries that are poised to reach the United Nations’ 90-90-90 HIV targets by 2020.
JANA-MARI SMITH
Namibia is just 8 000 people short of the 2020 target of 90% of all people living with HIV knowing their status, close to the target of 90% of all those people receiving treatment and just under 6 000 people short of 90% of those on treatment being virally suppressed.
Statistics revealed by the Namibian team of the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) this week show that the country is inching closer to reaching the 90-90-90 global targets and that the country is increasingly lauded as a leader in its response to the epidemic.
The country has further been identified as one of 13 African countries that are poised to reach the 90-90-90 targets by 2020.
The 90-90-90 targets aim to diagnose 90% of all HIV-positive persons, provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) for 90% of those diagnosed, and achieve viral suppression for 90% of those treated by 2020.
Nevertheless, experts warn that the last stretch may be the hardest for a number of reasons and will require continued commitment.
“Namibia is really making major strides in controlling the epidemic. But we still have gaps remaining and that shows us where the work remains to be done,” said Dr Eric Dziuban of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Based on current data, out of a total of 220 000 adults plus an estimated 10 000 children living with HIV in Namibia, the 90% country specific target of Namibians knowing their status currently stands at 87%, or 199 999 persons who are aware of their status.
Of those who know their status, the target number of people to be on treatment in Namibia is set at 81%, or 186 300.
Currently, a total of 186 000 Namibians living with HIV are receiving treatment, just 300 shy of the target.
About 73% of them are receiving treatment and 162 000, or 70%, are virally suppressed.
Dziuban explained that a person who is virally suppressed “has every chance of living a healthy life and a greatly reduced risk of transmitting the disease.”
A person is considered virally suppressed if the HIV viral load drops to an undetectable level, which is possible through continued treatment.
Dziuban cautioned that critical gaps remained in achieving overall epidemic control, which means fewer new HIV infections than the number of people dying of HIV.
He said reaching the last 5% to 10% of the targets often presented the most difficult barriers to success.
He said the remaining HIV-positive people who have not yet been diagnosed are often the hardest to reach for multiple reasons, including personal resistance to finding out their status, or lack of access to services.
“So there is more effort needed to help get them there.”
Moreover, data show that men and young people remain less likely to be on treatment, a global issue that many HIV/Aids programmes seek to tackle.
Milestones
Nevertheless, since Pepfar joined hands with the Namibian government to tackle the epidemic, the number of people becoming infected with HIV has dropped from more than 15 000 to fewer than 8 000 per year.
Moreover, the number of people dying from HIV has more than halved, from 10 000 to fewer than 4 000 per year. This was described as a milestone by Pepfar / USAID team leader Dr Abeje Zegeye.
Moreover, the percentage of HIV-positive babies born to HIV-infected mothers has dropped from 30% to below 5%.
Zegeye said 21 Pepfar-supported sites last year achieved zero HIV-positive babies born to HIV-positive mothers.
United States ambassador to Namibia Lisa Johnson yesterday announced that for the next annual funding cycle starting in October, Pepfar will provide Namibia with US$73.6 million, the equivalent of nearly N$1 billion.
This is a slight increase from the current year’s funding of US$72.3 million, she said.
Johnson highlighted the close working relationship between Pepfar and the Namibian government since 2004.
When Pepfar stepped in, Namibia was facing increasing numbers of new infections each year, coupled with a steep upward trend of deaths.
Since 2004, the country has seen a steep drop in HIV deaths and new infections.
Namibia is just 8 000 people short of the 2020 target of 90% of all people living with HIV knowing their status, close to the target of 90% of all those people receiving treatment and just under 6 000 people short of 90% of those on treatment being virally suppressed.
Statistics revealed by the Namibian team of the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) this week show that the country is inching closer to reaching the 90-90-90 global targets and that the country is increasingly lauded as a leader in its response to the epidemic.
The country has further been identified as one of 13 African countries that are poised to reach the 90-90-90 targets by 2020.
The 90-90-90 targets aim to diagnose 90% of all HIV-positive persons, provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) for 90% of those diagnosed, and achieve viral suppression for 90% of those treated by 2020.
Nevertheless, experts warn that the last stretch may be the hardest for a number of reasons and will require continued commitment.
“Namibia is really making major strides in controlling the epidemic. But we still have gaps remaining and that shows us where the work remains to be done,” said Dr Eric Dziuban of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Based on current data, out of a total of 220 000 adults plus an estimated 10 000 children living with HIV in Namibia, the 90% country specific target of Namibians knowing their status currently stands at 87%, or 199 999 persons who are aware of their status.
Of those who know their status, the target number of people to be on treatment in Namibia is set at 81%, or 186 300.
Currently, a total of 186 000 Namibians living with HIV are receiving treatment, just 300 shy of the target.
About 73% of them are receiving treatment and 162 000, or 70%, are virally suppressed.
Dziuban explained that a person who is virally suppressed “has every chance of living a healthy life and a greatly reduced risk of transmitting the disease.”
A person is considered virally suppressed if the HIV viral load drops to an undetectable level, which is possible through continued treatment.
Dziuban cautioned that critical gaps remained in achieving overall epidemic control, which means fewer new HIV infections than the number of people dying of HIV.
He said reaching the last 5% to 10% of the targets often presented the most difficult barriers to success.
He said the remaining HIV-positive people who have not yet been diagnosed are often the hardest to reach for multiple reasons, including personal resistance to finding out their status, or lack of access to services.
“So there is more effort needed to help get them there.”
Moreover, data show that men and young people remain less likely to be on treatment, a global issue that many HIV/Aids programmes seek to tackle.
Milestones
Nevertheless, since Pepfar joined hands with the Namibian government to tackle the epidemic, the number of people becoming infected with HIV has dropped from more than 15 000 to fewer than 8 000 per year.
Moreover, the number of people dying from HIV has more than halved, from 10 000 to fewer than 4 000 per year. This was described as a milestone by Pepfar / USAID team leader Dr Abeje Zegeye.
Moreover, the percentage of HIV-positive babies born to HIV-infected mothers has dropped from 30% to below 5%.
Zegeye said 21 Pepfar-supported sites last year achieved zero HIV-positive babies born to HIV-positive mothers.
United States ambassador to Namibia Lisa Johnson yesterday announced that for the next annual funding cycle starting in October, Pepfar will provide Namibia with US$73.6 million, the equivalent of nearly N$1 billion.
This is a slight increase from the current year’s funding of US$72.3 million, she said.
Johnson highlighted the close working relationship between Pepfar and the Namibian government since 2004.
When Pepfar stepped in, Namibia was facing increasing numbers of new infections each year, coupled with a steep upward trend of deaths.
Since 2004, the country has seen a steep drop in HIV deaths and new infections.
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