South Africa is making progress in the fight against HIV, says a UN official

South Africa is making progress in its fight against the virus, a UN official said Tuesday.

South Africa has around 7 million people living with HIV, which is the highest number of HIV-infected people of any country, according to UN data. Of that number, about 1 million are children and young people under 24, Priscilla Ofori-Amanfo, a communications specialist at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa, told Xinhua. ).

The country has taken robust measures to tackle the HIV epidemic, “including impressive maternal antiretroviral coverage for pregnant women living with HIV above 95% and a vertical transmission rate of only 3%, with the the result of an estimated 548,000 new HIV infections averted among children since 2010, ”Ofori-Amanfo said.

The COVID-19-induced blockade has disrupted essential rescue services, including immunization, tuberculosis, and HIV / AIDS testing, treatment and prevention, he said, citing some evidence that such services have started to rebound since the blockade was loosened. .

As UNICEF has partnered with the South African government to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, the country can further improve its performance, Ofori-Amanfo said.

“Approaches that can be improved include improving access to HIV / AIDS information, strengthening communities, using preventative measures including condoms and pre-exposure prophylaxis for people at high risk. Communities should also be able to access treatment through a variety of service access points, “he added.