ALMOST 1,200 new cases of HIV/AIDS were diagnosed in Jamaica last year as the number of persons across the island living with the disease climbed to 26,426.

This moved the country’s HIV/AIDS prevalence to 1.8 per cent in the general population, up from 1.7 in 2017.

The figures are contained in the 2018 Economic & Social Survey Jamaica published by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

It noted that 621, or 52 per cent, of the 1,197 new HIV/AIDS cases recorded in Jamaica last year were males, with persons in the 20 to 39 age group accounting for the largest share.

More females living with HIV/AIDS were found in the age group 20-29 years, while males dominated the 30–39 age group.

The PIOJ noted that the national HIV response continues to work towards the World Health Organization’s “90-90-90”treatment targets by 2020, where 90 per cent of people who are HIV positive should know their status; 90 per cent of those diagnosed should be retained in care on anti-retroviral (ARV); and 90 per cent of those on ARV should be virally suppressed.

So far Jamaica has managed to ensure that approximately 78 per cent of the estimated number of persons living with HIV has been diagnosed while 37 per cent of that total is getting treatment.

But only 47 per cent of the persons living with HIV are retained in care on ARVs and only 56.0 per cent are virally suppressed.

The National HIV/STI/Tb Unit began utilising the ‘Test and Start’ approach as a strategy to achieve the 90-90-90 treatment targets in January 2017.

According to the PIOJ, although Jamaica has successfully increased access to treatment and care services, analysis of the data related to retention in care has shown increased loss-to- follow-up among patients on antiretroviral treatment.

Regarding linkage to care, 75.0 per cent of patients diagnosed have been linked to care, and of those linked, 62.0 per cent have been retained in care. Of those retained in care, 95.0 per cent are on ARVs but only 52.0 per cent are virally suppressed

The PIOJ said there is now an emphasis on closing the gaps regarding loss to follow-up and viral suppression at all sites and this process will continue.

Failure to adhere to treatment and care has been identified as a barrier to further reducing AIDS morbidity and mortality.

Across the island males experienced higher direct and indirect AIDS mortality compared with females and a higher percentage of deaths occurred between ages 40 and 59.

Jamaica’s strategic/policy priorities for HIV are guided by the National Integrated Strategic Plan (NISP) for Sexual and Reproductive Health 2014–2019.

The NISP is consolidated around five priority areas with associated interventions, key actions and outcomes.

These are prevention and sexual and reproductive health outreach; universal access to treatment, care and support and services; enabling environment and human rights; monitoring and evaluation of HIV, family planning and sexual health responses and sustainability, governance and leadership.

Last year Jamaica’s efforts to tackle the HIV/AIDS problem was boosted by grants from international partners including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which provided US$7.6 million (J$985.9 million) to the Ministry of Health for the National Response to HIV.

The American agency also donated US$3 million (J$389.2 million) to Jamaica’s Health Policy Plus project which seeks to strengthen advocacy to reduce the spread of HIV and improve access to HIV/AIDS programmes and services.

USAID also provided assistance amounting to US$1.8 million ($233.5 million) for the LINKAGES project which aims to address gaps in the HIV responses and services network by strengthening community outreach, HIV testing and counselling, and linkage to care and treatment services.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria also provided a grant which supported the implementation of the national HIV/AIDS programme, focusing on reducing AIDS-related morbidity and mortality with effective biomedical and supporting interventions.

A total of US$4.0 million (J$518.9 million) was disbursed compared with US$5.2 million (J$674.5 million) in 2017.