Is HIV/AIDS just about Africa? NO! At this is something most people need to get out of their heads. HIV/AIDS is present on every continent and affect many different types of subpopulations and communities. Let’s have a look at how it affects Western and Central Europe and North America!
Western Europe, formed by 20 countries, has seen an important decline in infections in the last ten years (30% decline). People with HIV have easy access to HIV treatment which allows them to live long and healthy lives. On the other hand, central Europe, formed by 14 countries, has seen a 45% increase in HIV infections in the same amount of time.
In this part of the world, including North America, 4 in 5 people living with HIV are on treatment, and 2 in 3 are virally suppressed, meaning that thanks to their treatment they can not transmit the virus to anyone else. We are very close to the 2020 target (90-90-90) with 88% of people knowing their HIV status, 81% people on treatment and 67% with durably suppressed viral loads (source: UNAIDS).
At MANOA, our team is especially focused on innovating in a new way of offering information and focusing on #zerodiscrimination !
However there is still a lot of work left because there are still 37.000 people who do not know their HIV status, 2.900 people with HIV who are not on treatment and 140.000 people with HIV who are not virally suppressed. What can we do? The goal is for people to know their HIV status, be on treatment and finally be virally suppressed. It is possible! Where to start? Get tested and remember, #zerodiscrimination ! We are lucky to have treatments that help people live long and healthy lives but a lot of work depends on some stereotypes people may have about HIV.
In the United States there are two ethnic groups specially concerned by HIV: The black/African American (39.2 new diagnosis per 100.000) and the Hispanic/Latino (16.4 new diagnosis per 100.000). To make it easier to understand the disproportion, know that White or Asian ethnic groups represent respectively 4.8 and 4.7 new diagnosis per 100.000!
Gay men and other men who have sex with men in eastern and southern Africa represent only 6% of the new infections in 2019, in Western and Central Europe as well as North America it represents 64% of new infections, 37% of them among young gay men and other men who have sex with men. At MANOA, our team is especially focused on this group, innovating in a new way of offering information and focusing on #zerodiscrimination , which we hope will help young men to take an important step by getting tested and access treatment in case of being HIV positive.
In general new infections have decreased in Western/Central Europe and North America, more among women and girls than men and boys, but we are on the right track! AIDS related deaths have also decreased 37%. How can we do better? By getting as many people tested and have access to treatment. Remember that zero discrimination is what will allow many people to make the right choice! Be part of the change and spread the word!
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