Source: Condom Use, HIV testing: African countries off track 2030 targets | The Herald
Roselyne Sachiti Features, Health and Society Editor
The team calculated that overall, the probabilities of reaching the 2030 targets were very low for both HIV testing (0 percent to 28.5 percent) and condom use (0 percent to 12.1 percent).•Countries with the highest proportion of condom use will be Eswatini with 85 percent, Lesotho with 75.6 percent, and Namibia with 75.5 percent
An analysis of data from 38 African countries predicts that few, if any, are on track to reach key UNAIDS targets for HIV testing and condom use by 2030.
This is one of the important advances in HIV prevention research announced today at the 4th HIV Research for Prevention Conference (HIVR4P // Virtual), convened by IAS – the International AIDS Society.
Based on 114 nationally-representative datasets representing more than 1.4 million sexually active people, the study, was presented by Phuong Nguyen of St. Luke’s International University.
The study team estimated coverage of annual HIV testing and condom use at last higher-risk sex for each country and year to 2030, and the probability of reaching UNAIDS testing and condom use targets of 95 percent coverage by 2030.
The team calculated that overall, the probabilities of reaching the 2030 targets were very low for both HIV testing (0 percent to 28.5 percent) and condom use (0 percent to 12.1 percent).
They predict that the countries with the highest coverage of annual HIV testing in 2030 will be Eswatini with 92.6 percent, Lesotho with 90.5 percent, and Uganda with 90.5 percent, and the countries with the highest proportion of condom use will be Eswatini with 85 percent, Lesotho with 75.6 percent, and Namibia with 75.5 percent.
Based on these projections, the study concludes that there is currently “little prospect of reaching global targets for HIV/AIDS elimination,” and calls for “more attention to funding and expanding testing and treatment” in Africa.
COMMENTS
My grandfather at the kumusha reckons todays condoms are too small comrades. He is still very active on the pillow especially with the younger ladies and is terrified of impregnating them. Can the authorities please appeal to the makers to add maybe an inch or two for those handed out in ZW. I am also happy to see this important change as i do not want any new cousins to look after !
Hopefully Prof Sinead Delany-Moretlwe of the UN will take note of this.