Federal Council wants to eradicate HIV and hepatitis infections by 2030
Published: Wednesday, Nov 29th 2023, 11:30
Updated At: Wednesday, Nov 29th 2023, 11:30
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By 2030, there should be no more infections with the AIDS virus (HIV) and no more infections with hepatitis B and C in Switzerland. The Federal Council has adopted the "Stop HIV, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and sexually transmitted infections (naps)" program.
This goal is in line with that of the World Health Organization (WHO), the state government wrote on Wednesday. In addition, the number of sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, HPV (human papillomavirus), Mpox (monkeypox) and gonorrhea (gonorrhea) is to be reduced.
Programs against AIDS since 1987
The first national program against HIV was launched in 1987. From 2011, other sexually transmitted infections were integrated into the national program, which was extended several times. This will be replaced by the Naps from 2024, which will now also include hepatitis B and C for the first time.
The Naps program is particularly aimed at those who have an increased risk of such infections. These include drug users, people from countries where sexually transmitted diseases are common, prisoners and people who prostitute themselves for money.
In addition, everyone and increasingly younger people should be made aware of the risks posed by these diseases. They should also learn how they can protect themselves.
Access to healthcare with hurdles
The programs also provide for simple, low-threshold testing services. The latter are to be better networked. In addition, health insurance companies will cover the costs of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis for people at increased risk from July 1, 2024.
Not everyone has sufficient access to healthcare, writes the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). The hurdles are sometimes too high, especially for those with an increased risk of infection. This applies to information, advice, vaccination, testing and treatment.
In addition, sick and infected people continue to be stigmatized and discriminated against. This makes it even more difficult for them to access the healthcare system.
The Naps program should also be able to react to new epidemiological developments and medical achievements at home and abroad. It should be able to be adapted according to developments.
Over the past almost forty years, Switzerland has managed to prevent the spread of the AIDS virus and the hepatitis B and C viruses, writes the FOPH. Around 0.2 percent of the population have an HIV infection.
Declining hepatitis case numbers
The reporting figures for hepatitis B have been trending downwards since 2017. The number of newly reported cases of hepatitis C has been falling for twenty years.
The fact that the number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases is rising in some cases is mainly due to the fact that more tests are being carried out. The Federal Council now wants Switzerland to go further and reduce existing health risks.
The Naps programme applies to organizations, bodies, agencies and specialists who are active in monitoring, preventing and combating the diseases it contains. Those who receive funding are required to demonstrate the intended impact and to measure their effectiveness. Depending on responsibility, the Confederation and the cantons bear the costs of implementing the program.
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