Asunción, Paraguay – Paraguay's National Program for HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Pronasida) is enhancing national efforts to provide comprehensive medical services to people living with HIV by expanding its HIV diagnosis and follow-up capabilities to 15 regions across the country. Pronasida is decentralizing healthcare services through the recent distribution of advanced equipment and the training of specialized personnel.

Elena Candia, Director of Pronasida, recently delivered eight ABBOTT PIMA ANALYSER devices and conducted training on CD4 cell count analysis for biochemists from various healthcare institutions nationwide. CD4 cells are a crucial indicator of the immune system status in people living with HIV, and these devices provide rapid and accurate on-site test results. María Vera, Head of Pronasida Laboratory, and polyclinic specialists led this training, emphasizing its role as part of the national strategy to strengthen HIV response.

The newly distributed equipment has been allocated to major hospitals in seven health regions, including the Pronasida Laboratory in the capital, Asunción. These hospitals are:

Central Department: Luque General Hospital, Itauguá National Hospital
Ñeembucú Department: Pilar Regional Hospital
Canindeyú Department: Salto del Guairá Regional Hospital
Itapúa Department: Encarnación Regional Hospital
San Pedro Department North: San Pedro del Ycuamandiyú Regional Hospital
Cordillera Department: Caacupé Regional Hospital

This equipment distribution is characterized by its simple and rapid testing methods, enabling daily sample processing. It is expected to improve the quality of medical services by providing fast and timely results for people living with HIV. This will allow patients to start treatment sooner and effectively monitor disease progression, ultimately contributing to an improved quality of life for patients.

Meanwhile, according to the Paraguayan Ministry of Health, from January to November 2024, there were 1,372 new HIV infections, which translates to approximately 4 new infections per day. Of these, 74% were male and 26% were female. During the same period, 531 individuals were in the AIDS stage, and 49 died from HIV-related illnesses. Notably, infection rates were higher among younger age groups. Among new infections, 19% were aged 25 to 29, 17% were 30 to 34, and 12% were 35 to 40. These statistics highlight the importance of HIV prevention and awareness education for younger generations.

Through this equipment expansion, Pronasida is expected to increase access to diagnosis and follow-up, promote early diagnosis and treatment for people living with HIV, thereby helping to curb the spread of the virus and strengthen public health. This signifies that Paraguay has taken another step closer to achieving international goals for combating HIV/AIDS.

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