What exactly is the "95-95-95" target proposed by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)?
Okay, no problem. Let me explain the UNAIDS "95-95-95" targets in plain language.
Simply put, what are the "95-95-95" targets?
Think of them as a three-pronged battle plan to "end AIDS."
Proposed by UNAIDS, this plan aims to ensure that AIDS is no longer a global public health threat by 2030. To achieve this big goal, they set three very specific, interlinked sub-targets, each requiring a 95% achievement rate.
Let me break down each of these "95s" for you:
The first 95%: Getting people diagnosed
- Official terminology: 95% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status.
- Plain language: Among everyone who is actually infected with HIV, 95% should get tested and clearly know they are infected.
- Why is it important? This is the foundation for all next steps. If a person doesn't know they are infected, they can't get treatment to protect their own health and might unknowingly transmit the virus to others. So, the first step is "identification" – encouraging high-risk groups to get tested proactively and expanding access to testing services.
The second 95%: Getting diagnosed people onto treatment
- Official terminology: 95% of all people diagnosed with HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART).
- Plain language: Among everyone who knows they are infected, 95% should be able to access and consistently take antiretroviral medication.
- Why is it important? Current ART drugs are very effective. Taking them consistently suppresses the virus in the body, allowing the infected person's immune system to recover. This enables them to live and work like healthy individuals, with a near-normal life expectancy. Therefore, the second step is "treatment" – ensuring medicines are available and that people can link to healthcare services.
The third 95%: Suppressing the virus in people on treatment
- Official terminology: 95% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will achieve viral suppression.
- Plain language: Among everyone taking medication for treatment, 95% should have the amount of virus (viral load) in their body suppressed to such a very low level that it becomes "undetectable" in standard blood tests.
- Why is it important? This has huge significance for both the individual and public health.
- For the individual: Viral suppression means the treatment is working extremely well; the person's health is stable, and they are highly unlikely to develop AIDS.
- For the public: This is the most crucial point! When the viral load is "undetectable," the risk of that person transmitting HIV to a sexual partner is ZERO! This is the globally recognized U=U principle – Undetectable = Untransmittable.
- Why is it important? This has huge significance for both the individual and public health.
To Summarize
So you see, these three 95% targets form a perfect chain:
Identify → Treat → Suppress
Achieving high coverage at each of these three steps will:
- Save lives: Enable people living with HIV to live long, healthy lives.
- Stop transmission: The more people who effectively suppress the virus, the fewer new infections there will be.
Ultimately, when this chain functions efficiently – with fewer new infections and existing infections managed effectively – the AIDS epidemic can be controlled, achieving the ambitious goal to "end AIDS."