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YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. As of December 31, 2021 there were 4,579 recorded cases of HIV/AIDS in Armenia. This number grew by 430 as of late October 2022. In Armenia, 70% of cases of HIV – the virus which causes AIDS –is diagnosed in men. Persons diagnosed with HIV/AIDS are mostly from 25 to 39 years old.
Although there is no abrupt increase of HIV cases in the recent years, there is a trend of growth. 358 new cases were recorded in 2017, and 429 in 2018, another 448 in 2019. The figures dropped in 2020 compared to 2019 but this was due to decreased testing associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the new cases stood at 425.
“We expect this indicator to grow due to increased migration. Despite the growth of the indicator, we can say that we are in a good situation regionally. The prevalence in Armenia is 0,1%,” the Deputy Director for Science, Methodology and Development at the National Center for Infectious Diseases Narina Sargsyants said at a press conference ahead of World Aids Day.
WHO has set the 95-95-95 targets. The aim is todiagnose 95% of all HIV-positive individuals, provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) for 95% of those diagnosed and achieve viral suppression for 95% of those treated by 2030.
Sargsyants said that Armenia has significant work to do in all these directions, but mostly in terms of improving the diagnose indicator. There are many cases when people get tested very late. “Whereas today there are medications which allow suppressing the virus. The medications are so strong that there’s undetectable level in the blood. Moreover, if the virus is detected early on, even in case of pregnancies getting timely treatment contributes to avoiding the mother-to-child transmission. It is very important for people to be aware and get tested regularly,” Sargsyants said.
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) targets the immune system and weakens people's defense against many infections and some types of cancer that people with healthy immune systems can more easily fight off. As the virus destroys and impairs the function of immune cells, infected individuals gradually become immunodeficient. Immune function is typically measured by CD4 cell count.
The most advanced stage of HIV infection is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which can take many years to develop if not treated, depending on the individual. AIDS is defined by the development of certain cancers, infections or other severe long-term clinical manifestations.
HIV can be transmitted via the exchange of a variety of body fluids from infected people, such as blood, breast milk, semen and vaginal secretions. HIV can also be transmitted from a mother to her child during pregnancy and delivery. Individuals cannot become infected through ordinary day-to-day contact such as kissing, hugging, shaking hands, or sharing personal objects, food or water.
Risk factors for transmission include having unprotected sex, sharing contaminated needles, receiving unsafe injections and others.