Swaziland last week released remarkable findings into its fight against Aids, with new figures showing the country’s infection rate has dropped dramatically in recent years.
The number of infected adults in Swaziland went from 31% in 2011 to 27% in 2016 – still a high figure, but one which shows that the virus is spreading far more slowly through the population: 46% slower.
Swaziland’s health minister Velephi Okello unveiled the data at a press conference in Paris, attributing the success to the government’s commitment to get those living with HIV on to antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).
“We have more than doubled the number of people who have started on anti-retroviral treatment, and we have also almost doubled the number of men who have been circumcised in the country,” she said, according to AFP.
The magazine Science explains that the consistent use of ARVs drives down the levels of HIV in the blood: “In response, the risk of an infected person transmitting the virus plummets.”
The room reportedly “erupted into hoots and applause” when the findings were announced.
By: Kristen Van Schie (Daily Maveric).
Photo: MSF Access Campaign.
Review: Emerging Market Formulations & Research Unit, Flagship Records.