Is Sydney on the Way to Eradicating HIV?

Sydney is on the verge of virtually eliminating HIV transmission by reporting the most substantial decline in cases in the world.

Highlights:

Sydney suburbs with a higher proportion of gay men have achieved an 88% reduction in new HIV infections since 2010
Despite the success in inner-city areas, HIV prevention efforts in the outer suburbs have been less effective, with only a 31% decrease in new HIV infections over the same period
This highlights the challenge of extending prevention services to more diverse communities in these regions

Efforts to combat HIV transmission in Sydney's suburbs, previously devastated by the AIDS epidemic, have shown remarkable success, with the highest reduction in new HIV infections reported globally since 2010. Particularly, postcodes with a significant gay population have experienced an 88% decline in new cases, pointing to the effectiveness of targeted prevention initiatives in these areas.

Challenges in Expanding HIV Prevention Beyond Inner City

Despite the significant progress in inner-city areas, the success of HIV prevention campaigns have been less pronounced in the outer suburbs of Sydney, where a 31% decrease in new HIV infections has been observed over the same period.

This discrepancy highlights the need to expand prevention services to diverse communities in these regions, presenting a unique challenge for public health efforts ().

Strengthening Outreach and Education for Lasting Impact

To further enhance HIV prevention efforts, healthcare providers and organizations have been actively working to extend education and healthcare initiatives outside the inner city.

AIDS - Initial Theories and Disease Progression
AIDS was first detected in early 1980s, among gays, Haitians and black Africans. HIV is a descendant of a Simian Immunodeficiency Virus.

‘Sydney suburbs have successfully reduced new HIV infections by 88% since 2010. #AIDS #HIV #AIDSeradication’

The use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has shown promising results in reducing the risk of HIV transmission but its uptake has been lower in areas with a lower proportion of gay men. To bridge this gap, targeted messaging, community involvement, and multilingual services have become integral components of these outreach endeavors.

Despite significant progress, stakeholders emphasized the need for sustained funding and active intervention to maintain the gains achieved and continue the fight against HIV.

Reference:

In Australia, Most HIV Infections Among Gay and Bisexual Men are Attributable to Sex with 'New' Partners - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28283774/)

To End AIDS Epidemic by 2030, TB Must be Reduced: WHO
The American Thoracic Society is a founding member, is calling on governments, health advocates and non-government organizations on World AIDS Day.

Source-Medindia

Quiz on HIV / AIDS
Statistics tell us that the world HIV+ population has risen drastically from 8 million in 1990 to a whopping 33 million in 2007! Even more alarming is the fact that young people (below the age of 25) account for half of these infections! This is adequate proof for the lack of awareness among the general public even in these modern times. So take our quiz and brush up on the essential facts of HIV/AIDS.

There are 10 questions on HIV / AIDS in this quiz that will explore the depth of your knowledge and provide answers to the following:

Immune control of HIV ()
Symptoms of HIV/AIDS ()
Cure for AIDS ()
Acute HIV syndrome ()
World AIDS day ()
Western blot ()