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How Affordable Universal Health Care Can End AIDS

By Joie M Gahum | Update Date: Feb 01, 2017 07:20 AM EST

To be able to provide treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS, Canada is groundbreaking a move to provide affordable access to treatment of such disease in their country. Testing HIV for patients is now a standard for most hospitals in Canada.

In British Columbia, a couple was immediately provided with HIV testing to address the possibility of both having HIV. After being diagnosed as HIV positive, they were immediately given free access to HIV treatment and showed rapid health improvement even after being undiagnosed for so many years, Huffington Post reports. This has been a standard in British Columbia in Canada and has been saving a lot of lives in the process.

The standard practice is recommended for adults ranging from 18 to 70. After being diagnosed as HIV positive, these individuals are immediate given access to antiretroviral treatments, regardless of their social status and financial capabilities. However, this is not the case in neighboring countries.

With the Republican government seeking to revise the Affordable Care Act, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may not be able to push through with its recommendation to make HIV testing universal. Further restrictions on the use of federal funds may pose a threat to HIV testing and treatment especially for a large margin of the population. At present, the United States of America has one out of eight people undiagnosed for HIV.

Meanwhile, in a report from The Conversation, the United Nations revealed that the US has already failed to diagnose and treat the disease in their country. The US failed to diagnose 90 percent of those living with HIV, failed to treat 90 percent of its citizens diagnosed with HIV, and failed to suppress viral loads for the 90 percent of those who underwent treatment -  the "90-90-90" goal target imposed by the UNAIDS organization.

Numerous research has already proved that providing treatment for people living with AIDS can help in improving their health and extending their lives regardless of their socio-economic status. It also helps in preventing the disease and reduces the risks of HIV transmission.

With Canada's effort in making AIDS treatment facilities readily accessible for its citizens, nearby countries may resort in proving their health care provisions for this type of disease as well.

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