Treatment access helps drop in HIV infections

Increased access to treatment is a key factor behind a recent fall in HIV infections.

This comment was made by Rachael King, information and campaigns assistant at AVERT, said that more people are also being tested for HIV, meaning that a greater number of sufferers are aware that they have the disease.

She commented: "[The reason for the fall in infections is] a combination of more people going onto treatment, which means that they have lower viral loads, which means that they are not spreading it [HIV infection] as easily."

Ms King added that prevention schemes have also played a part, saying that these have had a "huge impact".

She went on to say that continued funding is needed for this trend to continue.

Last week, UNAIDS reported that there has been a 17 per cent fall in HIV infections during the last eight years.

Meanwhile, the number of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa was down by 15 per cent since 2001.

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