1 December 2010 KABUL, Afghanistan - On World AIDS Day, government health officials, the United Nations and its partners identify priority measures needed to tackle the increasing public health concern that HIV/AIDS poses in Afghanistan.

Although Afghanistan currently falls under a low HIV epidemic level category, there is evidence of a concentrated HIV epidemic, in particular among Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) who share needles. Other marginalized groups such as prisoners and migrants or displaced people are also vulnerable to the risk of infection with HIV.

According to government data, 636 HIV positive cases were reported cumulatively by the end of 2009. The real numbers are substantially higher according to UNAIDS/WHO projections which will be revised in 2011.

"What is needed is an urgent scale-up of comprehensive harm reduction services in general and in prisons in particular," said Her Excellency Dr Suraya Dalil, Acting Minister of Public Health. "Prevention, treatment and care is the only way to go if we are to reach the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for HIV."

Currently, there are only 2 functional Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) centres in the major cities of Kabul and Herat where, according to recent studies, HIV infection more prevalent. Availability, access, and quality of services need to be strengthened. MOPH and its partners, including civil society and the UN, are taking steps to address these gaps.

Although Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) has been approved as a harm reduction strategy, its effective implementation and scale-up for the population at greatest need remains a challenge.

“Low awareness of, and the stigma and discrimination associated with, people living with HIV are major impediments to implementing effective HIV interventions and accessing the most-at-risk population groups,” said Oussama Tawil, UNAIDS Country Coordinator for Afghanistan.

"Every Afghan has the right to voluntary and confidential HIV testing," said Peter Graaff, WHO Representative and Chairperson of the Afghanistan Joint United Nations Team on AIDS (JUNTA). He continued stating that a human rights-based approach is essential to ensure universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care.