Middle East and North Africa facing escalating HIV cases
A report has been published warning of an “escalating HIV epidemic” in the Middle East and North Africa.
According to Middle East Eye on April 2nd, new infections have surged due to forced displacement as a result of ongoing conflicts throughout the region.
The global health organisation, Frontline AIDS, has found that cases have risen by 116% across Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia since 2010 despite the fact that there has been a 39% decrease in global infections during the same period.
This surge in cases is as a result of conflicts across the region.
Displaced people are at greater risk of infection as they struggle to access medical supplies and basic amenities due to the breakdown in public services and damage to infrastructure.
As well as displaced people, marginalised groups including sex workers, homosexuals, transgender people and prisoners are acutely vulnerable to infection as repressive laws and social stigma prevent them from accessing vital medical treatments.
Even nations not directly affected by conflict are having their public services put under greater strain as they offer aid to civilians suffering under violent conflicts in nearby countries.
On top of the dangers that social stigma and lack of access to aid pose, a UNICEF study found that only 67% of people aged 15 or above knew that they actually had HIV, with only 50% of people receiving treatment for the disease.
The Middle East and North Africa has received just one percent of global HIV funding since 2023.
For a disease which young people are particularly susceptible to, one of the world’s youngest regions is being severely underfunded and under resourced.
A leader at Frontline AIDS, Golda Eid warned that the region was “being left behind” and that the epidemic could “escalate at an unprecedented rate” if not effectively addressed.
Calls from aid groups for increases in HIV prevention have been backed up by the report from Frontline AIDS who have called for national governments and international donors to step in.
Middle East Eye, Maghrebi
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