The Ministry of Health (MOH) pays great attention to epidemic control in general and HIV/AIDS in particular, both locally and globally, as part of MOH's vision and mission towards a comprehensive health to all community groups. Also, MOH is fully committed to achieve the national and global strategies to control this disease by 2030, towards its utter eradication; encouraged by the positive results secured so far in HIV/AIDS control according to the epidemiological indicators of HIV/AIDS-related global low infection and mortality rates.
MOH’s commitment was stated during the health seminar organized by MOH on Sunday morning in Riyadh, in parallel with the World AIDS Day which focuses this year on the importance of early detection; under the theme (Consult - Diagnose - Relax). MOH also expressed its concern about failure to control the disease in some countries; due to sensitivity-related challenges and hindrances. This requires an effective roadmap based on scientific findings, tailored to the infection and behavioral data, in addition to engaging all concerned health and non-health sectors and stakeholders, in a fully transparent approach while guided by others' experiences and the latest hi-tech and research findings. Likewise, there should be optimal investment in qualifying specialized professionals, to ensure providing effective preventive and therapeutic services to extend coverage and enhance accessibility to target groups, and to motivate them to capitalize on such services, to reduce HIV/AIDS risk factors, to enjoy less sick life by patients and their families in order to reduce mortality.
In coordination with other agencies, MOH has sought to develop the required laws and regulations to offer the right milieu for persons living with HIV/AIDS, while the scheme for their rights will be adopted. In the same vein, diagnostic services are further extended to protect pregnant women and empower the Early Detection Programs of HIV cases and include them in the treatment.
In this regard, the world is taking accelerated steps to eradicate HIV/AIDS in the near future. According to the data and indicators of adopted strategies, mainly those obtained from patient access and treatment results, the number of detected cases increased from 10% in the previous century to 70% of vulnerable groups. HIV has been fully controlled for over 80% of them; thus, leading a healthy and complication-free life. They pose no infection risk, which augurs well for controlling the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. However, the biggest challenge lies in extending early diagnosis activities, enhancing detection rates to reach more than 90% of HIV/AIDS patients in the next two years, as well as providing integrated effective therapeutic services. The coming phase features various interventions and activities; to make diagnostic services available to all community members, with special focus on the most vulnerable groups; through offering and integrating such services into all healthcare levels.
In 30 years, a lot of effective and impressive achievements has been done, whereby the global epidemic course has been reversed towards utter eradication by 2030. According to indicators, HIV/AIDS, disease and mortality rates have been reduced globally. Yet, some regions, including the Middle East, have not kept pace with such change. Rather, HIV/AIDS infection rates are still disturbingly increasing, especially among the most vulnerable groups. This required serious endeavors to keep up with other nations in their progress towards utter eradication of such a threat to public health and human development.