The introduction of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in April 2018 can be attributed to the decrease in new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnoses by 15 per cent across the country.
PrEP is a form of ART (antiretroviral therapy) that is typically taken as a prevention method by HIV negative people who have a higher chance of contracting the virus. According to Associate Professor Edwina Wright, “In people with high adherence to PrEP medication, it reduces the risk of acquiring [the virus] by 99%.”
The percentage of people worldwide who are HIV positive, and are accessing ART like PrEP, has risen from 25 per cent in 2010 to 73 per cent in 2020, according to data published by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Percentage of people living with HIV who accessed antiretroviral therapy from 2010 to 2020
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As represented in additional data provided by the organisation, ART has yet to dramatically reduce the number of new HIV diagnoses in three populations worldwide. The Eastern Mediterranean, European and the Western Pacific regions experienced increases in diagnoses from 2010 to 2020 by 41, 30 and nine per cent respectively.
Number of new HIV diagnoses – Regions with <500,000 per year from 2010 to 2020
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However, the positive impact of ART can be identified when looking at the same dataset from African populations. Over the same period, the organisation reporting a 41 per cent decrease in new diagnoses, down from 1.5 million in 2010 to 880,000 in 2020.
Number of new HIV diagnoses – Regions with >500,000 per year from 2010 to 2020
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Domestically, HIV has disproportionately affected Indigenous Australians over their non-indigenous counterparts. Between 2016 and 2017, “the rate of HIV transmissions among Indigenous Australians increased by 33%”, whereas “the rate among non-indigenous Australians declined by 22% ”, Dr Wright said.
In data published by the Australian government, as of 2019, the proportional rate of new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 individuals in Indigenous Australians was lower than non-indigenous Australians. This was the first time since this data was first recorded in 2014 where this was this case.
Number of new HIV diagnoses within Australia per 100,000 people from 2014 to 2019
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Marginalised communities including Indigenous Australians, “people who inject drugs, transgender people” and people without access to quality healthcare will continue to be adversely affected by this treatable virus, Dr Wright said.
The decreasing rate of new HIV diagnoses worldwide can be attributed the increasing prevalence and accessibility of ART, like PrEP. However, there is significant opportunity and progress to be made among certain populations.
(Featured Image:“HIV-infected H9 T Cell” by NIAID is licensed under CC BY 2.0)
