Towards a More Sustainable Response: Strengthening the Social Agenda in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Epidemic

Towards a More Sustainable Response: Strengthening the Social Agenda in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Epidemic

The human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency
syndrome response has made significant strides in preventing the spread of the epidemic globally.

Many of the achievements could not have happened without the resilience of the people
living with HIV/AIDS community, the funding and technical support of the donor
community including public/private partnerships, the tenacity of the Governments,
the relentless outreach of the Non Governmental Organization community and their networks,
the untiring efforts of health care providers, and the activism of grassroots movements.

The focus has shifted from an emergency response to achieving epidemic control
and the 95-95-95 targets, set globally. We are not there yet. The gains have been slowing,
as declines in new infection rates are not consistent across countries, the capability
to retain patients in care is suboptimal, antiretroviral treatment coverage has not
reached established targets, and viral suppression rates are struggling
to attain optimal levels in many countries.

There has been a dramatic shift in emphasis towards a more targeted approach
to reach geographic locations, and the populations most likely to transmit the disease.
There has also been an increased emphasis on combination prevention, case finding,
contact tracing, diagnostic testing, and expanded treatment regimens which are scientifically
proven to improve the efficacy and tolerability for the patients in care.

The question is how far will these interventions help to accomplish the gold standard in which
individuals, communities, the society, is sustainable and self-sufficient.

HIV/AIDS Res Treat Open J. 2020; 7(1): 3-4. doi: 10.17140/HARTOJ-7-132