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By Sana Elouazi
Rabat – Morocco counted more than 1,000 new HIV infections in 2016, bringing up the number of Moroccans living with HIV to 22,000 people, down from the previous year by 600 cases, according to a recent study run by UNAIDS.
The report revealed that drugs addicts are the most affected category in the kingdom, with a 7.9 percent prevalence of HIV.
They are followed by men who have sex with other men, with an HIV prevalence of 5.7 percent. Only half of them registered using condoms during intercourse, which makes them the second most affected population by AIDS in Morocco.
The study also noted that half of sex professionals, men and women alike, had unprotected sex, among whom 1.3 percent live with HIV.
The report added that among the 78,000 prisoners in the kingdom in 2016, 0.5 percent of them are attained with AIDS.
In addition, the proportion of pregnant women who are carrying the virus reached 62 percent in the same year, registering an increase in the last six years in Morocco.
The report also noted that the number of children infected with HIV by mother-to-child transmission was estimated to be around 100 cases in 2016.
Moreover, the number of people who died from complications related to AIDS reached 1,000 cases.
Only 8,500 out of 22,000 of the people diagnosed follow the necessary treatments, while 35 percent of the diagnosed people had to stop their treatment out of a lack of means.
However, the rate of access to treatment has significantly improved over the past five years, from 16 percent in 2010 to 48 percent in 2016, when 63 percent of virus carriers were informed of their status, due to the integration of HIV testing into health centers.
Also, the report stated that the new National Strategic Plan 2017-2021 commits Morocco to an acceleration of the HIV response and aims to reduce AIDS-related deaths and new infections among the most vulnerable populations.
In 2016, Morocco counted more than 1,000 new HIV infections, bringing up the number of Moroccans living with HIV to 22,000 people, down from the previous year by 600 cases, according to a recent study run by UNAIDS.
The report revealed that drugs addicts are the most affected category in the kingdom, with a 7.9 percent prevalence of HIV.
They are followed by men who have sex with other men, with an HIV prevalence of 5.7 percent. Only half of them registered using condoms during intercourse, which makes them the second most affected population by AIDS in Morocco.
The study also noted that half of sex professionals, men and women alike, had unprotected sex, among whom 1.3 percent live with HIV.
The report added that among the 78,000 prisoners in the kingdom in 2016, 0.5 percent of them are attained with AIDS.
In addition, the proportion of pregnant women who are carrying the virus reached 62 percent in the same year, registering an increase in the last six years in Morocco.
The report also noted that the number of children infected with HIV by mother-to-child transmission was estimated to be around 100 cases in 2016.
Moreover, the number of people who died from complications related to AIDS reached 1,000 cases.
Only 8,500 out of 22,000 of the people diagnosed follow the necessary treatments, while 35 percent of the diagnosed people had to stop their treatment out of a lack of means.
However, the rate of access to treatment has significantly improved over the past five years, from 16 percent in 2010 to 48 percent in 2016, when 63 percent of virus carriers were informed of their status, due to the integration of HIV testing into health centers.
Also, the report stated that the new National Strategic Plan 2017-2021 commits Morocco to an acceleration of the HIV response and aims to reduce AIDS-related deaths and new infections among the most vulnerable populations.
