9.4m people living with HIV unaware — UNAIDS report

A new report, ‘Knowledge is Power’, has revealed that an estimated 9.4 million people who are infected with HIV virus are not aware.

According to the report, released by UNAIDS, 75 per cent of all people living with HIV or 27 million people, know their HIV status.

The report called for increased efforts to reach the 9.4 million people living with HIV who are not aware that they are living with the virus and the estimated 19.4 million people living with HIV who do not have a suppressed viral load.

The new report from UNAIDS showed that intensified HIV testing and treatment efforts were reaching more people living with HIV.

To remain healthy and to prevent transmission, the HIV virus needs to be suppressed to undetectable or very low levels through sustained antiretroviral therapy.

According to the executive director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, to effectively monitor viral load, people living with HIV need access to viral load testing every 12 months.

“Viral load testing is the gold standard in HIV treatment monitoring. It shows that treatment is working, keeping people alive and well and keeping the virus firmly under control,” Mr Sidibé said.