- HIV/AIDS in Egypt
With less than 1 percent of the population estimated to be
HIV -positive,Egypt is a low-HIV-prevalence country. Unsafe behaviors among most-at-risk populations and limitedcondom use among the general population place Egypt at risk of a broaderepidemic . According to the National AIDS Program (NAP), there were 1,155 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Egypt by the end of2007 .UNAIDS estimates for2005 were higher, putting the number of HIV-positive Egyptians at 5,300. [http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/aids/Countries/ane/egypt_profile.pdf "Health Profile: Egypt"] .United States Agency for International Development (March 2008). Accessed September 7, 2008. PD-notice]Egypt reported its first case of HIV/AIDS in
1986 . Among officially reported cases, heterosexual intercourse was the primary mode of transmission (49.1 percent), followed by homosexual intercourse (22.9 percent), renal dialysis (12 percent), andblood transfusion (6.2 percent), according to the NAP in an official report issued in January2008 . Injecting drug use accounted for 2.9 percent of HIV infections and mother-to-child transmission for 1.6 percent; 5.2 percent are from “unknown” causes. Males are four times more likely to have HIV than females, but this may be due to more men being tested than women. Other people likely to be exposed to HIV in Egypt includestreet children ,prison ers, andrefugee s. Results of theUnited States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Biological-Behavioral Surveillance Survey, conducted by the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP), were disseminated in December2006 . The survey targeted street children, femalesex worker s (FSWs), men who have sex with men (MSM), and injecting drug users (IDUs) and identified a concentrated epidemic among MSM inAlexandria , with aseroprevalence of 6.2 percent.Egypt still faces several challenges in maintaining low prevalence of HIV/AIDS. There is a general reluctance on the part of the government and civil society to discuss issues related to marginalized groups such as MSM, FSWs, and IDUs. Egypt also receives millions of
tourist s and refugees from countries with high HIV prevalence and/or illicit drug use rates. In addition, there are pervasive fears and stigmatization of HIV/AIDS and a lack of effective STI/HIV/AIDS education programs and other preventive measures, such as peer education and outreach and behavior change communications among at-risk groups.With an estimated
tuberculosis (TB) incidence of 11 new cases per 100,000 people, Egypt has relatively low levels of TB according to2005 data from theWorld Health Organization . Currently, less than 1 percent of adult TB patients are HIV-positive. However, continued monitoring is necessary because an increase in the incidence of HIV-TB co-infection could add to the complexity of fighting both diseases in Egypt.National response
NAP, established within the MOHP in
1986 , is the official governmental body responsible for HIV/AIDS prevention. The National Strategic Plan (2006 –2010 ) builds on the successes of the previous five-year plan and is designed to maintain the low prevalence of HIV/AIDS and improve health care services for those infected or affected by the disease. The Plan's objectives are:
*Strengthen HIV/AIDS surveillance;
*Build capacity for an expanded HIV/AIDS response;
*Increase HIV/AIDS awareness;
*Develop outreach and peer education programs for vulnerable groups;
*Expand voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services; and
*Improve quality of life for HIV/AIDS-infected and -affected populations.Since
2005 , theGovernment of Egypt has become more actively involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The government integrated HIV/AIDS into preparatory and secondary school curriculums; established nine mobile (VCT) centers and 14 fixed centers around the country; conducted trainings forphysician s and nurses on clinical management andnursing care; and started to provideantiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV/AIDS patients free of charge. By the end of 2006, according to UNAIDS, 22 percent of HIV-infected women and men were receiving ART.In 2006,
Cairo was the site of a three-day, UNAIDS-supported workshop on HIV/AIDS and drug use in the region. The workshop included representatives of governments,non-governmental organization s (NGOs), and research programs from theArab countries as well as fromAfghanistan ,Iran , andPakistan . The Government of Egypt worked with UNICEF to prevent HIV/AIDS among youth and worked with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to address HIV/AIDS among IDUs.As of March
2008 , Egypt was negotiating a sixth-round grant with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis andMalaria to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS.References
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