Other global findings As of June 2015, 15.8 million people living with HIV were accessing antiretroviral therapy, up from 13.6 million in June 2014.
The United Nations agency’s report found that the total annual rate of new infections has dropped since 2000, as has the number of children infected and deaths caused by the virus.
Dr. Julio Montaner, the director of British Columbia’s Centre for Excellence in HIV and AIDS, says that in B.C. alone, 2,000 out of the 15,000 people with HIV/AIDS don’t even know they’re infected and so are more likely to spread the virus.
He added that it only takes one more push to finally halt the AIDS epidemic and prevent the disease from resurfacing. South Africa has the largest number of people – 3.2-million – on antiretroviral treatment in the world.
The most common age group for reported infections was between 30 and 39, but more people between ages 20 and 29 have been diagnosed in recent years, and a small group of those under 20.
“We also want to increase awareness that if you are sexually abused, you do have access to post-exposure prophylaxis, a pill that mitigates against contracting HIV, if the person is positive”, Jones said. The home sampling kits are another way people can get tested for HIV, alongside existing services such as local sexual health clinics.
In his opinion, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, the National Secretary of Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, said HIV testing was the first and most important step toward ending AIDS.
It also said in order to reduce dramatically new HIV infections and deaths due to Aids renewed efforts must be put in place to eliminate stigma and discrimination.
This has been organised as part of National HIV Testing Week, which begins on Saturday in the run up to World Aids Day on December1.
Much of that can be attributed to improved access to life-saving treatments with anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs).