Mali’s HIV prevalence rate of 1.1% is relatively high for West Africa and Mali is one of the few African countries where new infections are rising. HIV prevalence among key and priority populations is much higher than the national average. It is estimated that only around 62 percent of Malians living with HIV know their status. 56 percent of those who test positive are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and just 48 percent of Malians on ART have achieved viral load suppression (Spectrum 2022). Viral load suppression helps people stay healthy and live longer, and greatly reduces the chances of an HIV-infected person passing the virus on to others. Many Malians have difficulty accessing HIV testing and treatment due to stigma and the discrimination key populations face, Difficult access to health facilities and scarcity of follow-up at community level are also challenges.
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