Hyderabad: Every year on December 1, people around the world observe World AIDS Day to raise awareness of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) / AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and provide support to those, who are affected by the disease.
What is HIV? Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is a virus that targets immune-supporting cells in the body, increasing susceptibility to subsequent infections and illnesses. HIV can be transmitted through intercourse with an infected person, sharing injectable equipment, or unprotected sex (sex without the use of a condom or HIV medication to prevent or treat HIV).
Theme- According to WHO, the theme for this year's World Aids Day is 'Let communities lead'. As per the UN organisation, the theme was chosen to recognise the significant influence that communities have had in determining the HIV response.
History of World AIDS Day- In 1988, World AIDS Day was established as an international day for global health by two public information officers from the World Health Organisation (WHO). On World AIDS Day, people come together from all over the world to fight HIV, support those living with the virus, and remember those, who have lost their lives to the disease. Additionally, it is set aside as a day to promote innovative and successful HIV/AIDS policies and programs across various industries. Annually, organisations from the United Nations, federal agencies, and international societies collaborate to promote particular HIV-related themes.
Origin of HIV/AIDS pandemic- One species of chimpanzee in Central Africa is responsible for the HIV infection of humans. Research indicates that HIV may have entered humans from chimpanzees as early as the late 1800s.
The virus known as simian immunodeficiency virus infects chimpanzees. When people killed these chimpanzees for food and came into contact with their contaminated blood, it was most likely transmitted to humans. HIV gradually expanded throughout Africa over many years, then to other parts of the world. At least from the middle to the end of the 1970s, the virus has been present in the US.
Signs and symptoms- The immune system's decline and the loss of CD4+ T cells and the immune system's main anti-infection fighters, are the causes of AIDS symptoms. HIV starts destroying these cells as soon as it enters the body. Typical symptoms of HIV are:
- Prolonged diarrhoea lasting longer than a week
- A dry cough
- Depression, neurological disorders, and memory loss
- A case of pneumonia
- Deep-seated, inexplicable exhaustion
- Quick loss of weight
- Frequent fever or excessive sweating at night
- Spotches on the skin, beneath the skin, inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids that are red, brown, pink, or purplish
- enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, groin, or armpits
- Spots of white or peculiar discolorations on the tongue, lips, or throat.
HIV research and development- HIV therapy has advanced significantly. Most HIV-positive individuals are able to lead normal lives with daily medication. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2021, Cabenuva contains two distinct HIV medications: rilpivirine and cabotegravir. At your doctor's office, you receive it as an injection once a month or once every two months. It makes it a lot simpler for those who have trouble remembering to take their medications on a daily basis. The FDA approved lenacapavir (Sunlenca), the second injectable HIV drug, in late 2022. It belongs to a novel class of medications known as capsid inhibitors, which means that it interferes with the virus's protective shell and stops it from proliferating. Lenacapavir may reduce medical visits.
Islatravir is a drug that is getting closer to being approved by the FDA. This drug is known as Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Translocation Inhibitor (NRTTI). It has been found in clinical trials that this weekly pill blocks a protein that helps the virus to multiply and as a result the HIV levels in our body start to decline. It can work against some drug-resistant strains of the virus too.
HIV cure: Is it possible? The first documented instance of HIV cure occurred in a woman living with HIV who underwent a dual stem cell transplant (i.e., an umbilical cord blood transplant paired with a half-matched bone marrow transplant) to treat acute myelogenous leukaemia, according to the International Maternal Paediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trial Network (IMPAACT) P1107.
A 53-year-old German man, who was previously diagnosed with HIV has been living for four years without any detectable levels of the virus in his body after receiving a stem cell transplant; he is the fifth confirmed case of an HIV cure. After undergoing a risky surgery to replace all of his bone marrow with HIV-resistant donor stem cells, the man, known as the "Düsseldorf patient," is at least the third person to be cured of HIV, according to a case report published in Nature Medicine on February 20, 2023.
HIV data and statistics (WHO Report)-
- HIV continues to be a major global public health concern, having claimed 40.4 million lives (32.9–51.3 million) to date. The virus is still being transmitted in all countries, and some have seen increases in new infections after years of decline.
- By the end of 2022, there were an estimated 39.0 million (33.1–45.7 million) HIV-positive individuals worldwide, of which 25.6 million were in the WHO African Region.
- HIV-related causes claimed the lives of 630,000 people in 2022, while 1.3 million (1.0–1.7 million) new cases were reported.
- HIV infection does not have a treatment. Nonetheless, HIV infection has evolved into a controllable chronic health condition due to access to efficient HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care, including for opportunistic infections.
- Global HIV strategies from WHO, the Global Fund, and UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) are all in line with SDG target 3.3, which calls for the abolition of the HIV epidemic by 2030.
- 95% of all persons living with HIV (PLHIV) should have received a diagnosis by 2025, 95% of them should be receiving life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 95% of PLHIV receiving treatment should have their viral load suppressed for their own health and to prevent HIV from spreading to others. The corresponding percentages in 2022 were 86 (%) [73–>98%], 89 (%) [75–>98%], and 93 (%) [79–>98%].
- Among all HIV-positive individuals, 86% [73>–98%] were aware of their status, 76% [65–89%] were on antiretroviral medication, and 71% [60–83%] had suppressed viral loads.
HIV in India- There is a risk to the productive workforce from HIV and AIDS. People who experience discrimination because of their perceived or actual HIV-positive status have had a significant impact on many lives. When they lose their jobs, they are forced to live in extreme poverty, which has a negative immediate impact on their children and close family members by causing them to spend less on their health and education. Therefore, an individual afflicted with HIV must contend with the dual risks of losing their source of income and livelihood and encountering discrimination. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017 is a groundbreaking piece of legislation designed to create a supportive environment for those afflicted with HIV and AIDS.
Key statistics: 2021
- 2.4 million people with HIV
- 0.2% adult HIV prevalence
- 63,000 new HIV infections
- 42,000 AIDS-related deaths
- 65% of people with HIV on antiretroviral treatment
Progress towards targets- To end AIDS by 2030, the current targets for HIV testing and treatment, known as the 95-95-95 targets, must be met by 2025.
Education for prevention- One of the most important aspects of HIV/AIDS prevention is education. The main goals of World AIDS Day campaigns are to encourage routine testing, safe practices, and the dissemination of accurate information. Providing people with information is essential for halting the virus's spread and busting myths.
