Australia could soon be the first country in the world to announce an end to the HIV epidemic. Experts celebrated the declining number of infections at the opening of the 12th International AIDS Society (IAS) conference in Brisbane as a “monumental milestone”.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “The fact that we are now talking about eliminating HIV transmission in any country is incredible. It shows what is possible and gives us hope.”
According to the University of New South Wales, only 555 new HIV infections were recorded in Australia in 2022. Above all, preventive measures such as increased HIV tests and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) contributed to the success. This is available for certain people in Australia – as well as in Germany – on prescription with a small additional payment. HIV-negative people take medication to protect themselves from contracting the virus. In addition, thanks to today’s medical possibilities, it is increasingly possible to prevent an HIV infection from developing into an immune deficiency disease, AIDS.
“Repeat this success all over the world”
Thousands of experts from all areas of science and politics as well as numerous activists attend the conference on Australia’s east coast. The latest research and innovative treatment methods are to be presented by Thursday. The IAS organizes the conference in alternating years with the World AIDS Conference. The “AIDS 2024” will take place in Munich.
“Australia’s success shows us that we have the science, tools and know-how to stop infections and save lives,” Tedros said. “The challenge we all face now is to replicate this success across the world, especially in the poorest, most marginalized and hardest-to-reach communities.”
A virtual panel discussion with US immunologist and former pandemic fighter Anthony Fauci is planned for the end of IAS 2023. It is about how lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic can be applied to the global HIV response. “We must continue to stand up against disinformation and stigma because disinformation has really complicated the response to Covid-19 – and in certain cases, hindered our response to HIV,” Fauci said ahead of the debate. Disinformation and stigmatization are “the enemies of public health”.
