What to Know About HIV

Introduction

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)is the virus responsible for the development of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Aids). The virus and the disease have been fading from the public eye, yet millions of people continue suffering from it. Many researchers have been working towards the development of new HIV treatment options that are more effective.

Statistics

So far, the disease has claimed over 35 million lives. In 2016 alone, over 1 million people in the world died from the disease and other related complications. At the end of 2016, about 36.7 million people were living with it along with 1.8 million new infections reported that year. With such numbers, this continues to be a major health problem.

A vast majority of the patients are found in low and middle-income countries. The Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region with the biggest prevalence of the killer disease. For instance, of all the patients in 2015, 25.6 million of them were from the Sub-Saharan Africa. 66% of all new infections in the world also occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa during the same time.

Despite these numbers, progress is being made with promising signs being recorded. Prevention education and efforts have contributed to a reduction in the prevalence as well as a decline in the rates of new infections. Mother to child transmission has also dropped significantly. In addition, the number of people receiving treatment has increased leading to the general progress in its management.

Prevention

Appropriate prevention strategies reduce the risk of transmission by limiting exposure to risk factors. The major approaches include abstaining for the unmarried people, use of male or female condoms during sexual intercourse, testing and counseling, voluntary medical male circumcision and use of antiretroviral medications for prevention. The cost of PrEP medication, another prevention method, can often be covered by insurance.  Eliminating mother to child transmission is also effective in preventing new infections. Better outcomes can be obtained when these strategies are combined.

Treatment Development

Although currently the virus and Aids are not fully curable, treatment options are available that improve the health and living status of the patients. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the major approach in the treatment of HIV/Aids. A combination of three or more antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) is used to suppress the viral replication within the body. This enables the immune system to regain its ability to fight off common infections.

Initially, only patients who had a low CD4 count were put under ART. In 2016 however, the World Health Organization released a new set of guidelines on the use of ARVs for treatment and prevention. In the new guidelines, it is recommended that all patients living with the virus are given lifelong ARVs regardless of their CD4 count. This includes children, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, adolescents and all adults. By mid-2017, 122 countries had already implemented these guidelines, covering over 90% of all people living with the virus globally.

About a third of the patients seek care with the advanced disease, low CD4 count and higher risks of serious illnesses and death. To reduce the risks, the patients are given a package of care that involves testing and preventing common serious infections such as TB and cryptococcal meningitis in addition to their ART.

At the end of 2016, more than 19.5 million patients living with the disease were receiving ART, accounting for 53% of the patients. This was an increase from 17 million in June of the same year and 7.5 million in 2010. With such a trend, the world will meet the global target of giving treatment to 30 million patients every year by 2020.