MBABANE:Eswatini has made great strides in its response to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV), the World Health Organization(WHO) reported on Thursday.
Despite the health crisis, it has been reported that, the tiny Kingdom with a population of 1.2million has, over the years, managed to implement programs seeking to eradicate HIV, according to the WHO report, new infections have fallen steadily over the years, from 14 000 in 2010 to 4800 in 2020, and are projected to drop to 4300 by the end of 2023.
“The country’s core set of HIV prevention strategies include increasing the uptake of high-impact services such HIV testing and counselling, HIV treatment, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, post-exposure prophylaxis, condom use and voluntary medical male circumcision. In 2018, the country piloted the rollout of pre-exposure prophylaxis, the use of an antiretroviral medication by HIV-negative people to reduce their risk of acquiring HIV.
With support from World Health Organization (WHO), Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation, the United States President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Georgetown University and other partners, the Government of Eswatini has bolstered the use of PrEP among people at higher risk of HIV infection it is now available from over 200 health facilities”, reads the WHO online report.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION(WHO): Eswatini progressing towards zero new HIV infections by 2030.