HIV rate declines in some parts of Africa
Source: Agencies |
July 14, 2010, Wednesday
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THE number of young people infected with HIV in Africa is falling in 16 of the 25 countries hardest hit by the virus, according to a new report by a UN agency.
The number of young people infected with HIV dropped by at least 25 percent in a dozen countries, the UN AIDS report said. In Kenya, the infection rate among people aged 15 to 24 fell from about 14 percent in 2000 to 5.4 percent in urban areas.
The drop in HIV rates coincided with a change in sexual behavior, like having fewer sexual partners or increased condom use, UNAIDS said. But the agency could not say the drop was because of recent UN policies, which have mainly focused on buying AIDS drugs rather than preventing infections.
Some experts said new focus on prevention was too little, too late.
"Thanks to the UN's strategic blunder, many more people are now infected than would have otherwise been the case had they focused on prevention much earlier," said Philip Stevens, a health policy expert at International Policy Network.
The UNAIDS data were based on population surveys and mathematical modeling, and come with a significant margin of error.
"Young people have shown that they can be change agents in the (AIDS) prevention revolution," UNAIDS wrote in its report.
The research provides further evidence the AIDS outbreak peaked more than a decade ago and that the disease is on the decline. In a report last year, the agency said the number of people infected with HIV had remained unchanged - at about 33 million - for the last two years.
The number of young people infected with HIV dropped by at least 25 percent in a dozen countries, the UN AIDS report said. In Kenya, the infection rate among people aged 15 to 24 fell from about 14 percent in 2000 to 5.4 percent in urban areas.
The drop in HIV rates coincided with a change in sexual behavior, like having fewer sexual partners or increased condom use, UNAIDS said. But the agency could not say the drop was because of recent UN policies, which have mainly focused on buying AIDS drugs rather than preventing infections.
Some experts said new focus on prevention was too little, too late.
"Thanks to the UN's strategic blunder, many more people are now infected than would have otherwise been the case had they focused on prevention much earlier," said Philip Stevens, a health policy expert at International Policy Network.
The UNAIDS data were based on population surveys and mathematical modeling, and come with a significant margin of error.
"Young people have shown that they can be change agents in the (AIDS) prevention revolution," UNAIDS wrote in its report.
The research provides further evidence the AIDS outbreak peaked more than a decade ago and that the disease is on the decline. In a report last year, the agency said the number of people infected with HIV had remained unchanged - at about 33 million - for the last two years.
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