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UNAIDS
To prevent increased AIDS-related deaths, HIV services must continue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Above, a client receives their antiretroviral therapy in the waiting room of the hospital. Indonesia, May 2020. Photo courtesy of Yayasan InSET
Press release
Benefits of continuing to provide life-saving HIV services outweigh the risk of COVID-19 transmission by 100 to 1 13 April 202113 April 2021
Disruption to HIV services as high as 75% has been reported in some countries—to prevent incr
Disruption to HIV services as high as 75% has been reported in some countries—to prevent increased AIDS-related deaths, HIV services must continue during the COVID-19 pandemic
GENEVA, 13 April 2021—UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO) have supported mathematical modelling to establish the benefits of continuing HIV services compared to the potential harm of additional COVID-19 transmission. The analysis shows that maintaining HIV services would avert between 19 and 146 AIDS-related deaths per 10 000 people over a 50-year time horizon, while the additional COVID-19-related deaths from exposures related to HIV services would be 0.002 to 0.15 per 10 000 people. The analysis demonstrates that the benefits of continuing to provide HIV services during the COVID-19 pandemic far outweigh the risk of additional COVID-19-related deaths.