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WASHINGTON, July 20 (Xinhua) – A Harvard study has shown that an intervention aimed at seeking and treating HIV infection in Botswana has been shown to be effective in increasing viral suppression in people living with HIV / AIDS. very high levels.
The study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that the virus had become undetectable and could no longer be transmitted to all adult residents when patients were undergoing effective treatment.
In addition, the intervention probably contributed to a nearly one-third reduction in the incidence of HIV infection in the 15 participating communities, according to the study.
"We have achieved some of the highest levels of diagnosis, treatment and suppression of the HIV virus ever recorded in the world," said lead author Shahin Lockman, badociate professor in the Department of Immunology and Disease. Harvard infectious diseases, in a statement.
HIV prevalence in Botswana is high and, according to the study, 23% of adults were HIV positive in 2017.
The researchers badyzed data from 23,401 people in the country, namely a randomized trial in 30 rural and semi-urban communities with a total population of about 180,000 people.
From 2013 to 2018, 15 communities received an intervention that included universal HIV testing and counseling, support for access to care, expanded and faster treatment for antiretroviral therapy (ART), and increased access to circumcision services male.
In addition, a control group of 15 other communities received standard HIV testing and treatment.
At the end of the study period, in the intervention group, the proportion of people living with HIV whose viral load was suppressed increased from 70% to 88%, while the proportion in the standard care group increased from 75% to 83%.
The level of viral suppression in the population of the intervention group is one of the highest in the world.
The success of HIV testing in homes and mobile sites, as well as support for the link between care, have both contributed to the very high level of initiation of antiretroviral therapy and suppression of the virus.
According to the researchers, these efforts have likely resulted in a nearly one-third reduction in the rate of new HIV infections in the intervention communities.
"Universal HIV testing and treatment can make a substantial contribution to improving health and reducing the rate of new HIV infections in the community," Lockman said. "This reduction, if sustained over time, will help us achieve the UNAIDS goal of reducing by 90% the rate of new HIV infections by 2030". Enditem
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