In addition to its myriad deaths, the virus has also caused serious collateral damage. The Covid-19 had a “Devastating impact” on the fight against AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, which has experienced an unprecedented decline, deplored on Wednesday the Global Fund to fight these diseases in its annual report. The pandemic has severely disrupted access to health systems, screening tests and treatment in many countries.
For the first time since its creation in 2002, this institution is reporting backtracking: it is particularly concerned about significant reductions in HIV testing and prevention services for key and vulnerable populations, and a sharp decrease in number of people tested and treated for TB, with particular impact on drug-resistant TB control programs.
The pandemic has had consequences in particular “Catastrophic” in the fight against tuberculosis. In 2020, the number of people treated for drug-resistant tuberculosis fell by 19%. In countries where the Global Fund invests, some 4.7 million people with the disease have received treatment, about one million fewer than in 2019.
Strong decline in screening
On the fight against HIV, the impact of Covid is also significant. While the number of positive people receiving antiretroviral therapy continued to increase, by 9% in 2020, report shows a decline “alarming” prevention and screening services for key and vulnerable people.
The number of people reached by AIDS prevention programs decreased by 11% in 2020, by 12% among the youngest populations. AIDS testing has declined by 22% overall, delaying the start of treatment in most countries.
The number of treatments given to mothers to prevent their babies from contracting the virus has fallen by 4.5%. In countries where the Global Fund invests, 21.9 million people were on antiretroviral therapy for HIV in 2020, an increase of 8.8% from 2019.
So far, malaria programs appear to have been less affected by Covid-19, the report continues. In particular, the number of mosquito nets distributed continued to grow, by 17% in 2020. Indeed, in a number of countries, volunteers engaged in the fight against the disease have abandoned distributions in large centers, incompatible with the pandemic, for the benefit of door-to-door.
However, the number of screenings of people suspected of having malaria fell by 4.3% in 2020. And progress to contain the disease has stagnated, deplores the Fund.
The Covid-19 pandemic shed light on “Crucial importance” health systems around the world, says the Fund.
Innovations
There are some glimmers of hope, however: the virus has been at the origin of a number of innovations which have benefited the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. In Nigeria, for example, the national AIDS control agency appropriately carried out HIV tests on people who went to medical centers for Covid tests, reports the Fund. Result: the detections of positive people increased.
We can also think of the hopes given by the new messenger RNA technology. Now used on a large scale by the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, this technique promises in particular great advances in anticancer therapies.
In 2020, the Fund’s rapid response to the pandemic made it possible to avoid the worst, he also welcomes. Last year, it disbursed $ 4.2 billion to continue the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria The Global Fund is an original partnership between States, civil society, the private sector and patients. Half of its funds go to the fight against AIDS and half to malaria and tuberculosis. Since its creation in 2002, it claims 44 million lives saved.
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