The Ministry of Health has detected 22 new HIV cases (13 male and 9 female). All of them got the infection through unprotected sex except for a minor who was infected through Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT). The cases were detected in the last five months.
According to a press release from the health ministry, nine cases were diagnosed through medical screening, six each from contact tracing and Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) while one was diagnosed during antenatal care (ANC). Currently, all the new cases are being put on care and treatment. The ministry has detected 54 HIV cases in 2021 alone.
The health ministry estimates about 1300 HIV cases in the country. However, only 795 (414 male and 381 female) cases have been detected so far. The ministry urges everyone to avail themselves of the free HIV testing services to find the 505 missing cases to bridge the current detection gap of 39%.
The ministry says the country now has scientifically-proven, effective HIV medicine that can reduce HIV in the body and improve the immune system to stay healthy and live a long life unlike in the past. However, it is only effective with timely testing to know the person’s HIV status to initiate early treatment. Moreover, good adherence to the treatment is indispensable.
HIV remains a threat domestically and globally among certain high-risk key and vulnerable populations like men who have sex with men, transgender women and men, sex workers, those who use drugs, adolescents and other marginalized populations. This calls for our greater effort to hear the voices from the most impacted communities. We remain deeply committed to ensuring equity in our program’s research and policies and to serving those who are most in need.
Sonam
