Authorities join forces to prevent spread of HIV

The committee to combat HIV/AIDS is encouraging people who are at risk of HIV infections to test their blood and those living with the disease to get anti-retroviral treatment to prevent the spread of the virus.
People who want to check their status can get free blood tests done and those already infected can get anti-retroviral treatment at local HIV centres and at hospitals in Vientiane and the provinces. These facilities offer friendly services with confidentiality.
Representatives of the National Center for HIV/AIDs and sexually transmitted infections (STI) under the Ministry of Health and UNAIDS in Laos met along with their development partners in Vientiane on Thursday to strengthen collaboration to end the HIV epidemic by 2030.
The meeting was one of the activities to mark World AIDS Day, observed on December 1 worldwide, including in Laos, where several events were organised.
The Director of the National Center for HIV/AIDs and STI, Dr Phouthone Southalack, who co-chaired the meeting, said it is still challenging to encourage people at risk of HIV infections or living with the virus to access health services.
“In the first nine months of this year, there were 1,089 people living with HIV, more than 216 were living with AIDs, and some 100 people died of AIDs,” Dr Phouthone said.
“Over half of the people living with HIV are in the capital.”
He added, “This meeting aims to exchange ideas from all participants to bring down new HIV infections, to help people at risk of HIV infections and living with HIV to access more health services, and to commit ourselves to ending the HIV epidemic by 2030.”
According to the National Center for HIV/AIDs and STI, Laos has low HIV prevalence but some groups of people are at higher risk, particularly men who have sex with men and the transgender population. This group could be hard to reach.
Since 1990 to the end of September 2019, there were 11,172 Lao people living with HIV while a small number have tested their blood. More than 5,600 people were living with AIDs and 100 people died of AIDs.
In addition to the 1.7 million new infections recorded worldwide in 2018, there were more than 74 million people living with HIV, and 23 million people had received anti-retroviral treatment.
Authorities plan to eliminate HIV/AIDS in Laos by 2030 and are continuing efforts to provide treatment to people living with the virus. They aim to stop the disease spreading to others by upgrading awareness and expanding prevention activities to target areas.
By 2020, 90 percent of the people living with HIV should know their HIV status, 90 percent of people who are diagnosed with HIV are to receive sustained anti-retroviral therapy, and 90 percent of people receiving anti-retroviral therapy are to have viral load suppression.

By Keoviengkhone Bounviseth
(Latest Update December 6, 2019)