The government allocated $16 million to buy ART medicines and medical supplies in the 2022-23 Financial Year (FY), according to the Ministry of Health.
Currently, the country is making efforts to emerge as an HIV-free society by 2023 as per the five priorities in the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS (2021-2025) and 330 townships were accessible to health services in 2021. The proper medical services were extended to 330 townships nationwide in 2021. The HIV infection rate in pregnant women declined from 0.84 per cent in 2011 to 0.57 per cent in 2018, according to the ministry.
There were about 237,000 HIV patients in Myanmar in 2018 with an HIV prevalence rate of 0.57 per cent. The infection rate reached its highest with 29,000 new cases in 2000 and it dropped to 10,000 more in 2018.
Over 70 per cent of new infection cases were found in people who inject drugs, female sex workers and men who have sex with men.
The new HIV infection is mostly high in Kachin, Shan (North) states, Sagaing and Yangon regions, the data said.
In 2015, of over 200,000 HIV patients, only 85,000 were treated with ART medicines and it rose to over 175,000 patients in September 2019.
It is reported that the Ministry of Health and the Global Fund provide the needed funds to combat HIV in Myanmar. —TWA/GNLM
Govt allocates US$16 mln for ART medicines, medical supplies in current FY
- July 16, 2022
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