Around 3,100 people have died from AIDS-related illnesses in Madagascar, an increase of 158% since 2010. Gaps in HIV prevention and inequalities are at the root of the virus.
Madagascar has seen a significant increase in new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections since 2010 and a 158% increase in AIDS-related deaths during the same period, UNAIDS announced Monday.
An estimated 76,000 people were living with HIV in 2023 in this African nation and around 3,100 people have died from AIDS-related illnesses, according to the United Nations Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Programme. (AIDS) (UNAIDS).
According to UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima, “The pandemic in Madagascar is driven by gaps in HIV prevention and stark inequalities “That needs to be addressed urgently.”
However, these estimates may not reach the true figure, since “obstacles in data collection and weak surveillance systems make data collection difficult,” the UN agency explained in a statement.
“Besides, The majority of people living with HIV do not have access to treatment. Only 22% of the approximately 76,000 people living with HIV in Madagascar had access to care in 2023,” he lamented.
In northern Manakara (east coast), HIV testing campaigns carried out by the Ministry of Health revealed urban prevalence rates of the virus varying between 3% and 18% in the population.
For UNAIDS, it is Data collection needs to be strengthened to better target the national response to the virus to effectively combat the pandemic.
Byanyima, who will visit the country between October 19 and 24 to support the response to the disease, called for an “acceleration of global solidarity to strengthen Madagascar’s response to HIV, including preventing new infections and expanding access to treatment to end AIDS as a health threat. public health”.
UNAIDS has supported the implementation of HIV testing and counseling services and helped expand access to antiretroviral therapy, he noted.
Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, a factor that is driving new infections, he said.
In 2023, the World Bank estimated the country’s poverty rate at 62.6%, he cited.
The country has been hit by cyclical natural disasters, including droughts in the south and cyclones, making recovery difficult.
Source: Observadora
