Recommended strategies against HIV/AIDS for 2022-2027 published
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The Hong Kong Advisory Council on AIDS (ACA) today (November 29) published the Recommended HIV/AIDS Strategies for Hong Kong (2022-2027), the blueprint for a co-ordinated and consolidated response on local HIV prevention and control including key policy recommendations and priority areas for action for the next five years.
The ACA spokesperson said, "The number of newly reported HIV cases kept growing from 2010 till it reached a peak in 2015. Since then, a decrease in the number of reports was recorded in the consecutive six years while the trend in the next few years is yet to be observed. Despite the changing landscape of the HIV epidemic amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, ACA appreciates the professionalism and efforts made by all workers in the HIV field. They have been working relentlessly with devotion and commitment - not only to maintain clinical and other essential services, but also to develop new and innovative interventions to expand access to testing and other prevention options."
The spokesperson added that the Strategies provide a framework for various key players to act in concert for the prevention, care and control of HIV/AIDS in the next five years. Many of these initiatives and targets are in line with the recommendations in the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS' (UNAIDS) strategies, with the shared goal to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The objectives laid down in the Strategies are in line with the 95-95-95 treatment targets, i.e. 95 per cent of people living with HIV know their HIV status; 95 per cent of people diagnosed with HIV receive antiretroviral therapy; and 95 per cent of people who are on treatment achieve viral load suppression, as well as the target of 90 per cent priority populations having access to HIV combination prevention options set by UNAIDS. In addition, specific priority actions for issues of concern are also proposed in light of the current situation and scientific developments.
In the 2022-2027 Strategies, the ACA sets out clear visions and time-bound objectives and targets to be achieved by 2026 and identifies six priority populations, namely (1) men who have sex with men, (2) people living with HIV, (3) ethnic minorities, (4) transgender people, (5) people who inject drugs and (6) female sex workers and their male clients, with recommended priority actions under eight key strategic areas, namely (1) intensify accessibility and availability of HIV combination prevention tools, (2) targeted prevention interventions and education for priority populations, (3) devise specific interventions for sub-groups of concern within priority populations, (4) scale up HIV testing services and enhance and support new testing modalities, (5) strengthen the HIV treatment and care cascade, (6) enhance and promote youth sexuality education, (7) reduce and eliminate HIV-related stigma and discrimination, and (8) mobilise collaboration between the Government and the wider society to create changes.
The Recommended HIV/AIDS Strategies for Hong Kong (2022-2027) is the sixth set of strategies developed by the ACA since 1994. The process of its formulation adopted a wide-based approach of engaging different parties, including a Community Stakeholders' Consultation Meeting and gathering the input of individuals, groups and organisations as well as the general public during the subsequent stakeholders' and public consultations.
The Strategies and the Report of the Community Stakeholders' Consultation Meeting have been uploaded to the ACA website (www.aca.gov.hk). The public may also visit the DH's Virtual AIDS Office (www.aids.gov.hk) for more information on HIV/AIDS.
Ends/Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Issued at HKT 10:00
Issued at HKT 10:00
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