20 Nov 

Union Minister for Health and Sports Dr Myint Htwe participated in “The Ministerial Meeting of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition (GPC): HIV Prevention 2021-2025, Taking Stock, Planning the Future” hosted by UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland via videoconferencing yesterday afternoon.

The meeting was officially opened by Ethiopia’s Health Minister Dr Lia Tadesse.

UNAIDS CEO Ms Winnie Byanyima and Global Fund CEO Mr Peter Sands explained the main activities and future plans of their organizations.

During the meeting, the Union Minister said that Myanmar is working hard to control the spread of COVID-19 disease.

He continued that Myanmar also focused on providing health services for non-COVID-19 diseases too. He highlighted Myanmar’s great effort to reduce HIV prevalence. 

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry firmly continues HIV prevention and treatment activities, according to the Union Minister, who said that the Ministry is working hard to ensure continuous access to ART for people with HIV. He added that Myanmar is taking great efforts to draft and implement policies and strategies for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

Myanmar introduced the Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) system in this year’s July. 

The Union Minister continued that the Global Fund gave Myanmar US$7 million to control the COVID-19 pandemic, and has approved another $18 million. Despite the COVID-19 outbreak in Myanmar, the ministry is coordinating with UN agencies to combat various diseases including HIV, syphilis, TB, and viral Hepatitis.

It is targeted that the world would become an HIV-free society in 2030.

The Union Minister also expressed thanks to the Global Fund for providing a total of $876.1 million for combatting HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria from 2011 to 2020. And he said thanks to the UNAIDS for providing technical assistance for HIV/AIDS prevention activities.

He also said that HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities in Myanmar are successful.

In Myanmar, 85 per cent of people with HIV are aware of their disease, and 91 per cent of them are currently taking ART. If compared to the rate in 2010, new HIV infections in Myanmar have been reduced by 36 per cent and total deaths due to HIV/AIDS and related diseases have been reduced by 52 per cent. By the end of June 2020, about 79 per cent of estimated 240,000 people with HIV had been treated with ART, according to the Union Minister.

The meeting was participated by Health Ministers and senior officials from the 28 member nations of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition (GPC), and they discussed the HIV/AIDS Prevention Strategy (2021-2025).

MNA (Translated by Maung Maung Swe)