An uphill battle

“Over 100,000 Myanmar HIV patients in Myanmar are still in need of treatment while the rate of HIV is spreading at a higher rate among people over 15 years than female sex workers, drug users and homosexuals,  said Union Health Minister Dr Than Aung, adding that only  70,000 patients have received free antiretroviral drug treatments so far .
The minister's remarks were part of a speech he delivered at the World AIDS Day ceremony on December 1. The Global Fund - an NGO that works to combat disease in developing countries - provides significant funding for Myanmar's fight against HIV and  a plan is under way to provide free antiretroviral drug treatments to about 110,000 HIV patients by the end of 2016 in cooperation with other international organisations. he said .
The minister said  that the government has quadrupled the national health budget since the 2011-12 fiscal year and will further increase it in coming years.
The government will make greater efforts in its fight against HIV in the future. It  has bought more HIV test kits and supplied ART drugs using the health budget since 2012, he said.
As of 2013, there are approximately 185,000 HIV-infected people above the age of 18 in Myanmar with 7,000 having been  infected last year. Among them, 125,043 people are in need of ART treatment, and 60 per cent lack medical provisions.
The estimated number of people who have died of AIDS-related diseases is about 15,000. Rate of HIV spreading among people over 15-year old is 0.49 per cent and higher among female sex workers, drug users and homosexuals.
United Nations estimates that there are 200,000 people in the country living with the virus, prompting the government to pledge a further US$5 million to tackle the issue in October.

New ART centres to open in 2015
Among the measures to combat HIV, the government plans to provide improved healthcare for AIDS patients who need active-release treatment (ART) medication. New ART centres will be opened at township-level hospitals, according to National AIDS/STD Control Programme of the Health Department .
Currently, ART medicines are primarily given out in region-level hospitals in Yangon.   The new ART centres will carry out not only ART treatment, but also counseling, testing for HIV, registering positive patients into the Pre-ART Register and testing the number of CD4. The centers will also work to cure related diseases, test for and treat tuberculosis, provide cotrimoxazole, educate for regular taking of ART medicine and treatment and provide ART medicine for free to pregnant women and other patients according to National Guidelines for HIV Clinical Management.
“The medicines are provided mainly at Mingalardone Hospital, Wai Bar Gi Hospital, North Okkalapa General Hospital, Eastern and Western Hospital, Insein Hospital, Thanlyin Hospital, Thaketa Hospital, and at the Group for AIDS Prevention (Latha). An ART center will also open at Thingangyun Hospital next year. Later, new ART centers will be opened at hospitals located in Hlaingthaya, Kyauktan, Hmawbi, Hlegu, and Shwepyitha,” said Dr. Myo Thant from the National AIDS/STD Control Program.
Moreover, there are also plans to enlarge up to 65 government hospitals and seven clinics of the AIDS Prevention Group by the end of 2015. The patients receiving medical treatment for six months to one year at these ART centers will be transferred to township-level decentralized ART sites. Up to 30 decentralized ART sites will be opened this year, and the number is estimated to grow to 101 in 2015.
As of 2013, there are approximately 185,000 HIV-infected people above the age of 18 in Myanmar. Among them, 125,043 people are in need of ART treatment, and 60 per cent lack medical provisions. The estimated number of people who have died of AIDS-related diseases is about 15,000. Rate of HIV spreading among people over 15 years old is 0.49 per cent and even higher among female sex workers, drug users and homosexuals.