Universal testing for HIV

A universal test for HIV could reduce the number of people developing Aids by 95 per cent, according to a global study.

The World Health Organization found that diagnoses and immediate therapy could reduce the number of cases to one in every 1,000 people over 20 in 1,000 at present.

It used computer calculations to project what would happen if everyone over the age of 15 had a routine Aids test.

However, there is not a single country in the world that has implemented a routine test, according to the study published in the Lancet.

An Aids test is usually recommended by medics in the US and Europe if a person’s white blood cell count goes below a certain point.

In The Lancet, the Imperial College of London's Dr Geoffrey Garnett, said: "At its best, the strategy would prevent morbidity and mortality for the population, both through better treatment of the individual and reduced spread of HIV."

According to the World Health Organization, 33 million people had HIV/Aids in 2007 with a large portion unaware they were carrying the virus.

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