News

Test and treat studies and African countries showing that 90-90-90 targets are achievable

aidsmap.com, 20 July 2015 - "Health services in some African countries including Botswana, Rwanda and Malawi are now providing effective HIV treatment to a greater proportion of their HIV-positive citizens than the United States and other rich countries.

Meanwhile, some of the first data to come from large African studies examining the population impact of treatment as prevention approaches suggest that the objectives of testing and treating 90% of those eligible can be achieved.

These encouraging findings were presented to the International HIV Treatment as Prevention Workshop in Vancouver yesterday, in advance of the larger HIV conference (IAS 2015) that is being held in the city this week. Michel Sidibé, executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) told the workshop that his organisation’s ambitious targets of having 90% of people tested, 90% of people with HIV treated and 90% of those on treatment with a suppressed viral load were achievable – so long as there is political commitment and leadership.

As outlined by aidsmap.com last year, several massive randomised studies are examining the population impact of scaling up ‘test and treat’ approaches in African countries. The studies will find out whether it is feasible to provide HIV testing to almost everyone in the local area and then – for those diagnosed with HIV – to link almost all of them to medical care and to provide almost all with HIV treatment that lowers their viral load to undetectable levels."