Reported cases of HIV/AIDS in Taiwan have declined for four consecutive years, and the number of cases this year was fewer than half of the figure reported four years ago, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
To commemorate World AIDS Day today, which is promoted by the WHO and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the CDC yesterday released a one-minute public service video, encouraging people to get tested for HIV and receive treatment if required.
The video features Taiwanese boxer Huang Hsiao-wen (黃筱雯), who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In it she shares her journey from doubting herself to having the courage to accept the challenges she was facing and overcoming them, conveying the message that people should also be brave and get tested for HIV.
CDC Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩) said reported cases of HIV/AIDS in Taiwan have been dropping by about 10 percent each year.
The nation last year achieved UNAIDS’ “90-90-90” target, and is working toward reaching the “95-95-95” goal by 2030, Chou said.
The global goal of “90-90-90” for last year, was that 90 percent of all people living with HIV would know their HIV status, 90 percent of all people diagnosed with HIV would receive sustained antiretroviral therapy and 90 percent of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy would achieve viral suppression.
While an average of “84-87-90” was achieved globally last year, Taiwan exceeded the goal by reaching “90-93-95,” CDC data showed.
“However, there are still more than 1,000 people reported [to have contracted] HIV/AIDS each year in Taiwan,” Chou said.
The CDC would continue to promote HIV prevention, while working to create a HIV/AIDS-friendly society without discrimination, Chou said, urging people not to inject drugs and to practice safe sex.
In the past decade, the annual number of HIV/AIDS cases reported peaked at 2,508 in 2017, but with help from the government and private sector, the number has continued to drop over the past four years, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said.
As of Wednesday last week, a total of 1,139 cases had been reported this year, he said, adding that the figure is estimated to grow to 1,250 by the end of the year, which is 11 percent lower than last year and fewer than half of the cases reported in 2017.
While people are concerned about HIV/AIDS cases reported among young people, the CDC’s data show that the number of cases reported among those aged 30 or younger has dropped from 1,244 in 2017 to 444 so far this year — a 61 percent reduction and the biggest drop among all age groups, Lo said.
The CDC urges people to practice safe sex by properly using a condom and water-based lubricant during any type of sex, take pre-exposure prophylaxis if exposed to a high risk of HIV infection, get tested for HIV regularly and receive treatment as soon as possible after a positive diagnosis.
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