According to UNAIDS, 140,000 adults and children were living with HIV/AIDS in 2020. Additionally, 5,600 new cases of HIV/AIDS emerged that same year. However, since 2015, the incidence rate for HIV/AIDS in Argentina has been on a steady decline. The Argentinan government and various organizations are working to ensure each person has access to treatment and education about HIV/AIDS. These efforts are leading to a safer and more equal society.

Past Efforts in Stopping HIV/AIDS in Argentina

There have been significant efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS in Argentina within the past 30 years. In 1992, the Argentinian National Ministry of Health created the National Control Program of Human Retroviruses to diagnose and treat patients and ensure giving the medication to the population. The program included more research into AIDS prevention and treatment while also providing the public with the necessary medical assistance and education to prevent the disease altogether.

In 1995, the Argentinian government passed another law guaranteeing nationwide access to HIV/AIDS treatment regardless of the patients’ affordability. According to the World Bank, the implementation of efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS saved 4,379 people from HIV/AIDS between 2000 and 2010.

Then, in 2015, Argentina began to adhere to the 90-90-90 target with the aim of achieving it by 2020. The rule targets are diagnosing 90% of people with HIV, treating 90% of people with ART and giving an undetectable viral load to 90% of those on ART. This target progressed Argentina’s goal of stopping HIV/AIDS.

Moving Forward

While Argentina is working to eliminate HIV/AIDS, more recently, its government is also working to improve human rights for those with HIV/AIDS. The Argentinian Congress passed a new law that made mandatory testing illegal, progressing the Argentinian society in the human rights field. This new law protects Argentinians who have HIV/AIDS against discrimination and allows them to remain confidential about their medical diagnoses.

Argentinians are working to end the stigma of HIV and protect the confidentiality of those who have it. Other organizations are also dedicated to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS in Argentina. Established in 1987 in Los Angeles, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has the goal of providing care to HIV/AIDS patients at all times in their life.

In Argentina from 2016 until today, AHF provided 120,000 HIV tests and supported seven clinics with over 120,000 patients across South America. Their efforts allow for more people to get access and treatment to fight HIV/AIDS, and they are just one of the many organizations working toward stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS in Argentina continues to be an issue in society. However, with all the efforts from the Argentinian government and various organizations, more and more people are able to access treatments and health care. More work is necessary to fully eradicate HIV/AIDS from Argentina completely, Argentina is on its way to its goal of becoming fully HIV/AIDS-free.

– Janae O’Connell
Photo: Wikipedia Commons