{"id":4541,"date":"2018-12-14T06:00:09","date_gmt":"2018-12-14T06:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/?p=4541"},"modified":"2024-02-22T14:27:16","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T14:27:16","slug":"hiv-diagnoses-fall-as-uk-surpasses-90-90-90-target","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/hiv-diagnoses-fall-as-uk-surpasses-90-90-90-target\/","title":{"rendered":"HIV Diagnoses Fall as UK Surpasses 90-90-90 Target"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The UK is one of the first countries to meet the UNAIDS 90-90-90 target. Public Health England\u2019s recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/hiv-in-the-united-kingdom\">report<\/a> showed that HIV prevention efforts are working successfully in the UK. London was the first global city to exceed the 95-95-95 target.&nbsp; They have now been joined by Amsterdam and Melbourne. 2017 statistics reveal <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthylondon.org\/london-first-global-city-to-exceed-unaids-ambitions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[1]<\/a><strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>92% of people living with HIV in the UK have been diagnosed<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>98% of HIV positive people in the UK were on treatment<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>97% of HIV positive individuals had an undetectable viral load<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/blood-test-1024x518.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7605\" width=\"768\" height=\"389\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/blood-test-1024x518.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/blood-test-300x152.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/blood-test-768x388.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/blood-test-1536x777.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/blood-test-2048x1036.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The success of the 90-90-90 strategy in the UK is due to a combination of HIV prevention efforts, including an increase in HIV testing and the reduction in time for treatment to begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More can be done to end HIV in the UK. Despite the positive results of our current efforts to fight HIV, last year, 43% of new HIV diagnoses were made at a late stage of infection. Public Health England (PHE) continues to stress the importance of HIV testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor Noel Gill, Head of STI &amp; HIV Department at PHE, said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere can be no doubt prevention efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the UK are working. Our efforts must continue apace in order to eliminate HIV. With an estimated 8,000 people still unaware of their infection, it is vital that people seek out an HIV test if they consider themselves at risk, or accept the offer of an HIV test by a healthcare professional, as early diagnosis is key to stopping transmission.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/hiv-diagnoses-continue-to-fall-as-uk-exceeds-unaids-target\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[2]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whilst the 90-90-90 targets have been emphasised in the UK. Many countries have focussed on increasing people\u2019s access to HIV treatment \u2013 the second \u201890\u2019. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/hiv\/pub\/journal_articles\/article-beyond-90-90-90\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[3]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Better2Know\u2019s Anthea Morris who spent six months working in a hospital in Tanzania supporting people with HIV said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor many people around the world an HIV diagnosis brings with it a huge stigma. Many people in Tanzania were worried about being seen at HIV clinics. So they choose not to attend and not to receive their medication. Reaching out to these people and helping them get HIV treatment is really important to achieving the second and third 90\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr Anne Connolly, the clinical lead for sexual health for Bradford district and Craven clinical commissioning groups, warns against complacency:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really important to remember that HIV hasn\u2019t gone away,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe would encourage more people to be sure of their status by having a test, particularly if they have changed their partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou can only be certain you have HIV if you have a blood test that looks specifically for the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe result will let you know if you need to carry on taking precautions to protect yourself against HIV or if you need to start lifesaving treatment and avoid spreading the virus to someone else.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keighleynews.co.uk\/news\/17280980.health-chiefs-get-tested-plea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[4]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anthea Morris continues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere is always a reason for not getting tested: you are too busy, you are scared of the result and think you are better off not knowing, or you may think that you are not at risk of catching HIV. Most newly diagnosed people do not think HIV is something that happens to them.&nbsp; We believe the key is to make getting tested regularly, or at the start of a relationship, a norm. We are working hard to encourage people to change their preconceptions and get tested.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>What is the UNAIDS 90-90-90 strategy?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2014, the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV and AIDS \u2013 UNAIDS \u2013 announced the 90-90-90 global strategy. This consisted of three main targets that were to be achieved by 2020:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>To identify 90% of people living with HIV through expanding testing.<\/li><li>To put 90% of HIV positive individuals on antiretroviral therapy.<\/li><li>To ensure that 90% of HIV positive people, who are on treatment, have undetectable viral loads.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>People are less likely to pass on HIV if these levels of viral suppression are achieved. The 90-90-90 targets are being enforced on a global scale, leading UNAIDS officials to believe that the HIV epidemic could end by 2030. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/united-nations-90-90-90-strategy-aims-to-end-hiv-epidemic-4105202\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[5]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anthea Morris said: \u201cIt is really important to have ambitious goals to combat HIV. Although the Millenium Development Goal 6 to combat HIV was not fully achieved, huge improvements were made that may not have been with a less ambitious goal.&nbsp; An end to the HIV epidemic is achievable with everyone working together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michel Sidibe, Executive Director at UNAIDS, said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is four years since we launched 90\u201390\u201390 and it has taken us further and faster than we could ever have imagined. With 90\u201390\u201390, we have built a bridge that spans the essential elements of the HIV treatment cascade. We must not be scared of the future, we must define it. If we quicken the pace, we can reach 30 million with HIV treatment by 2020.\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.unaids.org\/en\/resources\/presscentre\/featurestories\/2018\/july\/90-90-90-targets-workshop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[6]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>References<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>[1] Healthy London: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthylondon.org\/london-first-global-city-to-exceed-unaids-ambitions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">London the first global city to exceed UNAIDS 95-95-95 ambitions<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[2] Gov.uk: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/hiv-diagnoses-continue-to-fall-as-uk-exceeds-unaids-target\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HIV diagnoses continue to fall as UK exceeds UNAIDS target<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[3] World Health Organization: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/hiv\/pub\/journal_articles\/article-beyond-90-90-90\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Beyond the 90-90-90: refocusing HIV prevention as part of the global HIV response<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[4] Keighly News: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.keighleynews.co.uk\/news\/17280980.health-chiefs-get-tested-plea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Health chiefs \u2018get tested\u2019 plea<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[5] Verywell Health: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/united-nations-90-90-90-strategy-aims-to-end-hiv-epidemic-4105202\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Can the UN Strategy to End HIV Epidemic Work?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[6] UNAIDS: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.unaids.org\/en\/resources\/presscentre\/featurestories\/2018\/july\/90-90-90-targets-workshop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Accelerating towards 90-90-90<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The UK is one of the first countries to meet the UNAIDS 90-90-90 target. Public Health England\u2019s recent report showed that HIV prevention efforts are working successfully in the UK. London was the first global city to exceed the 95-95-95 target.&nbsp; They have now been joined by Amsterdam and Melbourne. 2017 statistics reveal [1]: 92% [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[8],"tags":[491,492,80,488,487,493,79,490,486,489],"yst_prominent_words":[681,595,594,1005,3278,599,1135,655,1434,597],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4541"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4541"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7606,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4541\/revisions\/7606"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4541"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=4541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}