WORLDS AIDS Day 2020 was commemorated at the Ministry of Health and Sports yesterday, and Union Minister Dr Myint Htwe delivered a speech.

The Union Minister said while the ongoing treatment against COVID-19 is important it is equally necessary to continue implementing the ministry’s more than 40 health directives, which include preventing communicable and non-communicable diseases. He said AIDs require lifetime medication and failure to do so increases the chance for opportunistic infections, which can lead to death.

There were about 240,000 cases of HIV in Myanmar in 2019, of which over 9,900 were new cases in Myanmar, but this was a 36% decrease compared to 2010. HIV prevalence was 0.58% during that time, according to an AIDS epidemic model. The vulnerable demographics include drug abuses, sex workers, same-sex partners, prison inmates and migrant workers, and the ministry prioritizes them for treatment.

The leading factors that drive HIV/AIDS in developing countries are low socio-economic standards and a lack of knowledge on the subject. The five most important facts for preventing any disease is the public interest, public participation, public health literacy, public perception on its importance, and exchange of accurate information between those affected.

Myanmar joined UNAIDS and the Global HIV Prevention Coalition Group in May 2018 and has been implementing its own National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS (2016-2020) prior to that. A new 5-year strategy from 2021 to 2025 is currently in the works. The main supporter for Myanmar financially in this endeavour is the Global Fund while technical assistance is provided by UNAIDS and WHO. The Myanmar government has been allocating $14m for HIV prevention since the 2016-17FY and an additional $1m for purchasing the opioid methadone used for pain relief and treating drug addiction.

There has been progressing as Myanmar was able to provide lifelong ART to only 106,000 of the 240,000 cases in 2016 but now provides up to 82% of all affected persons as of last September. The ministry was able to expand 362 ART centres in 273 townships in November and expanded prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) to 326 townships; a 99% coverage.

The ministry was able to test 790,000 pregnant women in 2016, and it increased to over a million in 2019. HIV transmission from mother-to-child went down from 0.84% in 2011 to 0.50% in 2019. There are currently 24,000 people seeking treatment in 80 methadone maintenance therapy centres.

UNAIDS Country Director Mr Oussama Tawil read a message from the UN Secretary-General which said World AIDS Day is a reminder of the disease’s effect on society for more than 40 years amid the current COVID-19 pandemic. While there have been significant advances in preventing the spread of HIV, about 1.7 million people are infected by HIV every year with a death toll of 690,000. COVID-19 has made the unequal reach of medical treatment apparent across the world, and the safety of the entire world depends on the safety of the individual.

WHO Representative to Myanmar, Dr Stephan Paul Jost, and US Chargé d'Affaires' Gwendolyn Cardno also spoke at the commemoration. U Sai Aung Kham, representing civil society organizations, spoke on the importance of World AIDS Day and the aspirations of the CSOs.

Director Dr Tun Nyunt Oo explained the National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS, and the Union Minister and officials observed the commemorative exhibition after the event.

MNA

(Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)

Photo: MNA

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