Not just richer nations like New Zealand are meeting some of the 2025 HIV-related targets but also low- and middle-income countries like Nepal, Cambodia and Thailand in Asia and the Pacific region.
“2025 AIDS-related targets are ambitious but not wishful thinking: We know this, because nine countries have already achieved HIV testing and treatment targets. Four countries from Asia Pacific are treating more than 80% of people living with HIV (Cambodia, Nepal, New Zealand, Thailand). Nepal is also among the 4 countries globally that has reduced the new infections by more than 75% (compared to 2010) and can potentially reach the 90% target by 2030,” said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Asia and the Pacific region.
“Other countries can learn from their approaches. 18 countries have eliminated mother to child transmission of HIV globally – and 4 of these countries are in Asia Pacific region: Malaysia, Thailand, Maldives and Sri Lanka,” he added.
A sex worker had told us 20 years back when there was no lifesaving antiretroviral therapy. She was referring to the devastating impact of HIV positive diagnosis on one’s life but no way to access treatment and live normal lives (back then). But even after 20 years, though treatment is available to a lot many people today, but may be, not accessible to all. So are prevention services which remain inaccessible or not-available because of which new infections continue to occur.
There are several countries in Asia Pacific which did not even reach half of people living with HIV with lifesaving antiretroviral therapy in 2023. Afghanistan provided the treatment to only 9% of people living with HIV, Pakistan to 15%, Fiji to 28%, Indonesia to 31%, Mongolia to 39%, Iran to 43%, Philippines to 43% and Bangladesh provided the therapy to 49% of people with HIV in 2023.
On the other hand, there are countries like Nepal that successfully provided antiretroviral therapy to 82% of people living with HIV, Thailand did so to 82%, Cambodia to 89% and New Zealand provided the treatment to over 90% of people with HIV.
“Why is it that despite services being available, people get diagnosed for HIV and disappear in the shadows?” asks Eamonn Murphy.
If we are to keep people with HIV healthy and stop the spread of infection, there is no doubt that we have to keep all people with HIV virally suppressed – and – make the full cascade of HIV prevention options are available and accessible for everyone.
In other words, if people are not diagnosed with HIV, or diagnosed with HIV but not put on treatment, or not virally suppressed, we will not only fail to avoid........