The recently released United Nations’ Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic 2011 shows that the Caribbean continues to have the second highest regional HIV prevalence after sub-Saharan Africa, but that the epidemic has slowed considerably since the mid-1990s. See excerpts with a link to the full article below:
It said that in the Caribbean region, new HIV infections were reduced by a third from 2001 levels and that HIV incidence has decreased by an estimated 25 per cent in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica since 2001, while in Haiti it has declined by about 12 per cent.
“Slowing HIV incidence and increasing access to HIV prevention services for pregnant women have led to a steep decline in the number of children newly infected with HIV and in AIDS-related deaths among children,” the report said, noting that unprotected sex is the primary mode of transmission in the Caribbean. It noted that the number of people living with HIV has also declined slightly since the early 2000s and that increased access to antiretroviral therapy has led to a considerable drop in mortality associated with AIDS. More people than ever are living with HIV, largely due to greater access to treatment, the report noted.
[. . .] UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Paul De Lay said that behavioural changes, which include the use of condoms, having fewer sexual partners, and young people waiting longer before becoming sexually active, were the main causes for progress in Africa.
[. . .] In addition, UNAIDS stressed in its report that although the data points to incremental progress, a transformative response is needed to meet the 2015 targets set by member states in June through the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS, and to support the vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths in the near future.
For full article, see http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/un-hiv-epidemic-has-slowed/
