Luanda: The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Angola has decreased from 2 percent to 1.6 percent over the last 20 years, the Secretary of State for Public Health, Carlos Alberto Pinto de Sousa, revealed.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the reduction follows the intensification of prevention actions, early diagnosis, and access to adequate treatment. Carlos Alberto Pinto de Sousa reaffirmed the government's commitment to combating the disease as a public health problem, highlighting the expansion of the antiretroviral treatment (ART) service network in the country, which has grown from 500 to over 170,000.
The Secretary of State emphasized that the expansion of ART services has resulted in more lives saved, fewer infections, and more hope for Angolan families. The official highlighted the progress made in preventing vertical transmission (from mother to child) from three to 881, with the coverage of pregnant women in PMTCT programs increasing from 34% in 2017 to 79% in 2024. Consequently, the vertical transmission rate fell from 26% in 2007 to 16% in 2024.
According to the source, the effectiveness of the treatment has improved the viral suppression rate, a key indicator of therapeutic success, which rose from 79% in 2021 to 88% in 2024. He revealed that this year, 10,537 patients who had abandoned treatment were readmitted due to the active contact strategies implemented by the INLS.
During this period, 2,257,521 HIV tests were performed, with a positivity rate of 2.6%, corresponding to approximately 58,000 detected cases. The efforts in preventing vertical transmission and improving treatment effectiveness underscore Angola's commitment to reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS on its population.
