Scaling up HIV testing and counselling is crucial for “getting to zero” World AIDS Day, 1 …
Cairo, 29 November 2012 On the occasion of World AIDS Day, 1 December, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean is putting the spotlight on the HIV treatment gap in the Region.
In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the number of people living with HIV is estimated at 561 000. While experiencing the fastest rate of increase of the HIV epidemic in the world, the Region is providing the lowest coverage of HIV prevention, treatment and care services.
More than eighty-five per cent (85%) of people living with HIV in the Region who need life-saving antiretroviral therapy do not receive it.
The global theme for the World AIDS Campaign this year is “Getting to Zero”: zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths. In a message on the occasion of World AIDS Day 2012, Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, reiterated that without ending the treatment gap in the Region and without scaling up HIV testing and counselling and other prevention interventions, the Region is far from getting to zero. For this reason, the regional theme for the World AIDS Campaign under “Getting to Zero” addresses HIV testing and counselling.
The main contributor to this treatment gap is the low uptake of HIV testing and counselling services. In particular, people at higher risk of HIV, that is, people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men and sex workers, are still not being reached by available testing and counselling services
Less than 15% of those who need treatment