More than 350 anti-retroviral treatment centres (ART Centres) and branches have been opened in 242 townships across Myanmar including a district hospital in Myawady, Kayin State, and Thailand-Myanmar border towns for those living with HIV, according to the ministry of health and sports.
A statement released by the ministry in 2018 quoted AIDS Epidemic Model - AEM as saying HIV rate in Myanmar fell by over half and there were about 227,000 HIV patients, accounting for 0.57 percent.
"As venerable groups including people who inject drugs (PWIDs), female sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSMs), prisoners and migrants are likely to behave dangerously, infection rate is still high among them. Infection rates in Yangon Region, Kachin State, Shan State (North) and Sagaing Region are higher than those in other regions," said an official from the HIV combat project.
With the increased budget in seven years from the government and assistance from the International Monetary Fund and international organizations, life-time ART treatments were provided only for 40,000 of over 200,000 HIV patients in 2011. But, 146,000 patients were provided with treatment in 2017.
Myanmar has been a member country of Global HIV Prevention Coalition since June 2018.
