JEDDAH, 1 December 2003 — The Ministry of Health has announced the launch of a national strategy to combat AIDS to mark World AIDS Day today.
“AIDS has become a major factor threatening public health and destroying the economies and social structure of nations, and Saudi Arabia is not immune to the dangers that threaten all humanity,” Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie said.
He called on the young men of this country to be more responsible and to hold fast to the teachings of their religion.
According to a recent Ministry of Health statistics, 6,787 AIDS cases have been reported in the Kingdom, with expatriates accounting for 78 percent of that number.
Dr. Mohammed Al-Jifri, director of the department of contagious diseases at the ministry, estimated the number of Saudi AIDS sufferers at 1,509 or 22 percent.
“About 77 percent of these are males in the 15-49 age group,” he said. Most AIDS cases among Saudi women are the result of blood transfusions or of contracting the virus from their husbands.
The ministry has allocated more than SR24 million to buy medicine and equipment required for the treatment of AIDS patients. The cost of treating an AIDS patient is estimated at SR200,000-SR400,000 annually, depending on the severity of the case.
Dr. Al-Manie announced last month that three AIDS treatment centers are operational in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, while a fourth was planned in Jizan.
According to the latest report on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO), five million people worldwide became infected with HIV and three million died this year. These are the highest numbers since the epidemic began.
Southern Africa reported the highest rates of HIV/AIDS cases with an infection rate of some 39 percent among the adult population.
The report estimates 40 million people are living with HIV worldwide, including 2.5 million children under the age of 15. A new wave of HIV infections threatens China, India, Indonesia and Russia. In an effort to improve access to treatment, the WHO and its partners are developing a comprehensive global strategy to bring antiretroviral treatment to three million people by 2005; this is known as the “3 by 5” initiative.
In addition to gaps in treatment, the report finds surprisingly little is being done to implement even the most basic cost-effective HIV-prevention efforts. It also notes that close to 40 percent of countries that have reported on progress made in implementing the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS have not yet adopted legislation to prevent discrimination against people infected with HIV/AIDS. Such legislation is vital to prevention efforts as it can help individuals be tested for HIV without fear of persecution and discrimination. Combating HIV-related stigma and discrimination is the theme of this year’s UNAIDS World AIDS campaign.
