Project title
愛滋病防治整合型研究計畫─愛滋病防治中心
Internal ID
MOHW105-CDC-C-114-000104
Principal Investigator
Start Date
January 1, 2026
End Date
December 31, 2026
Investigators
Organizations
Partner Organizations
Ministry of Health and Welfare
HIV AIDS Study and Control Center = 愛滋病防治整合型研究計畫─愛滋病防治中心
Description
The latest report presented by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) showed a new record high in the population of HIV infections. As of 2012, 34 million people were living with HIV/AIDS, and among which 23.5 million people are in sub-Saharan Africa. Some 14.8 million people require medical treatment, but only 8 million people have availed of proper treatment. It was also noted that sex practices and prohibited substance use are the essential routes of infection. The global gender ratio of people living with HIV/AIDS is now gradually approaching 1:1 since cases of direct infection of fetus during pregnancy are also gradually rising. It is therefore possible that more babies may be born with HIV infection by their mothers. According to Professor Kenrad Nelson of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, there have been a huge increase in the number of patients undergoing the Antiretroviral Therapy, and the number of new HIV infections is continuing to decrease; moreover, the fatality rate of AIDS is also on a continuing decline. The AIDS epidemic peak period has come to past; however, the “zero growth, zero prejudice, and zero fatality” objective of the Getting to Zero campaign continues to bump into walls due to the influence of certain factors. MSM related HIV infections are still worsening in many countries. Optimistic therapeutic mentality and prevalence of prejudice (declining the inclination for screening and medical treatment), increase of sexual invitation channels (e.g., the Internet), and use of aphrodisiacs have enhanced the risks of HIV infections among MSM. Another difficulty in preventing the spreading of the AIDS epidemic is the serious intravenous drug users (IDUs) problem riding high in Russia and many countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Unfortunately their governments did not devise proper countermeasures. These countries are now the few remaining countries where the AIDS epidemic is still spreading prolifically. Regarding drug users as patients instead of criminals could help control the spread of the AIDS epidemic. Another loophole in the campaign to control the AIDS epidemic are the sexually active heterosexual groups, including the adult youth and minor teenage girls in the southern Africa and people engaging in the sex trade in every nation. In Taiwan, HIV/AIDS infection spreads somewhat late; however, its infection rate likewise manifested a gradual annual growth. As of end of July 2015, a total of 30,054 Taiwan nationals had been reported to be HIV infected; the disease had already caused the death of 4,852 people; that is, an average of 6 persons being infected with HIV per day. The problem posed a toll to the society and economy of the nation. In September 2013, the Taipei International Conference on HIV/AIDS, sporting the motto “turning the tide on AIDS starting with me”, hopes to control epidemic through the personal behavior of each person. It is also hoped that people learn to protect themselves, thereby protecting others as well. The seminar especially underscores the importance of “personal responsibility”. Regardless of people being acquainted with HIV/AIDS or living with HIV/AIDS, each person should take on more responsibility in the fight against AIDS. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in the period from 2008 to 2012, three quarters of the men infected with HIV/AIDS acquired the infection through MSM (men who have sex with men). Young people are sexually active, and MSM is the main route of infection in this age group. In the period from 1984 to 2012, the HIV infected people between the ages of 15 and 24 took up 18.5% of the infected population. Ever since, 90% of the HIV/AIDS infection has been acquired through sexual intercourse. Syringe sharing among drug dependents had long been a factor in of HIV infection but the number had remained a single-digit figure until 2003 when, for the first time, the population of syringe-related infections broke the barrier and rose to 74 persons; by June 2007, the number had risen to 5,488 persons, comprising 38.94% of the total infected population. This development indicates the emergence of a new challenge in the gradual growth of the epidemic. Consequently, the Executive Yuan ratified the AIDS Harm Reduction Program to cope with the drastic rise of HIV infection among the drug dependent population. In August of 2005, Taipei City, Taipei County, Taoyuan County, and Tainan County organized the AIDS Harm Reduction Program for Drug Dependents; thereafter, a clean syringe campaign was launched in July 2006. There were 427 syringe sterilization and AIDS health information and counseling stations established throughout 23 cities and counties of Taiwan. In the massive campaign for the use of alternative therapy launched in August 2006, the alternative therapy program implementing facilities established throughout the 22 cities and counties of Taiwan resulted in the significant decrease of AIDS prevalence rate among intravenous drug users; unfortunately, the ratio of new HIV infections reported annually remained to post 15% and above among the male heterosexuals. Furthermore, exchanges between Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries and China having high HIV prevalence rates are quite common, a factor that further hastened the spread of HIV infection On November 30, 1990, the Legislative Yuan passed the third reading of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Control Act, and on December 17 of the same year, the President decreed its ratification and implementation. In the process of its legislation, the enforcement rules of the bill had undergone a series of amendment before it finally met the society’s requirements. In the yearend of 2001, in an effort to effectively implement the HIV/AIDS control plan, reduce the HIV infections, protect the public health, and preserve the reproductive health of the young generation, thereby preventing the AIDS epidemic from causing any serious social and economic impacts, the Centers for Disease Control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (formerly the Department of Health) consolidated the resources of all concerned departments and agencies in the implementation and preparation of the necessary countermeasures for the organization of the HIV/AIDS Control Committee (愛滋病防治推動委員會). The move elevated HIV/AIDS control operations to the central inter-agency operations level. To ensure that the government keeps serious attention on HIV/AIDS control operations, the Executive Yuan promised to include the budget for HIV/AIDS control in the priority budget list of the government and to enhance inter-agency coordination and cooperation for an all-out aggressive implementation of control measures and full-scale mitigation of the HIV contagion. Fully understanding the government’s determination in stemming HIV communication, the National Taiwan University Hospital organized the dedicated NTU Hospital staff and medical workers of northern Taiwan for the establishment of the HIV/AIDS Control and Study Center, thereby combating the challenges of the disease through concerted effort and government assistance. Since the establishment of the NTU Hospital HIV/AIDS Control and Study Center in June 1997, the entire NTU hospital staff aggressively participated in the preventive and clinical medicine work, allowing the team to develop greater proficiency. In addition to untiring dedication to the care of hospital patients, NTU Hospital also proactively and aggressively dispatches medical workers to aid other hospitals. For the past 18 years, the HIV/AIDS Control and Study Center, under the full support of the Centers for Diseases Control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (formerly the Department of Health) has already achieved preliminary results of its efforts. The center was able to reap a wealth of outcomes both in its clinical medical services and research work. Under a stable personnel training and deployment, the center laboratory has reached a certain level of scale and is steadily plodding towards a highly promising and pioneering key phase. We shall continue to shoulder the heavy responsibility of HIV/AIDS control and medical treatment work; in light of which, the center filed an application for the 2015 Annual Program of the HIV/AIDS Control and Study Center with the Centers for Disease Control. Since communication of HIV involves changes in social, cultural, and sexual behaviors, it may be said that the program is a social reform movement in substance and not just a simple medical and health issue. Hence, in addition to AIDS treatment and medical care, the center s hall consolidate the academic, cultural, and social sectors for the concerted implementation of related control programs, with special attention to the education and training. The plan is to employ the existing resources of the center and the respective hospitals in north Taiwan for organizing a series of health orientation classes and seminars, since a widespread disease control education and information promotion campaign is the best way to combat the vicious cycle of HIV communication. We have become quite aware that AIDS is not only a fatal disease, but also a disease that could seriously dent social development, weaken productivity, ward off foreign investments, downgrade the living standards of the nation, and even diminish government and social forces. The entire medical staff of the center will provide people with HIV/AIDS the most suitable antiviral drug and medical treatment for opportunistic infection. Medicine administration regulations are updated every year; moreover, test items and test time intervals are evaluated for the definition of the principles governing test items, thereby equipping clinical physicians with the right materials for reference in the provision of medical care to patients. The center also earnestly endeavors to conserve the health insurance resources and studies more economical treatment procedures for the welfare of HIV patients and enhancement of the medical care system; thus, patients, patients’ families, and their communities may be able to avail of proper support. Nationwide inter-hospital HIV clinical epidemiology related studies were conducted for the upgrade and consolidation of the medical resources and infected people related information of the designated AIDS treatment hospitals in the country. Moreover, assistance was provided in the related clinical epidemiology research, such as, monitoring study of the clinical symptoms of people with HIV/AIDS, prevention and treatment of opportunistic infection, health seeking inclination, high-risk behaviors, and drug resistance and side effects of treatments; results will be provided for the reference of future therapy and control policy making and amendment endeavors. Furthermore, the HIV/AIDS Control and Study Center should take on the role of leading the domestic treatment and control related work and provide the appropriate educational training program for resource planning. Also, the center shall establish and implement Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) procedures. Essentials of the implementation of the 2015 annual program of the HIV/AIDS Control and Study Center are as follows: Study Subject: Integrated Plan for the Control of HIV/AIDS Focal Point of the Study: Applied Research of HIV/AIDS Control Measures, Treatment & Care, and Professional Human Resource Training Courses Study Objectives: To develop better medical care and interventional methods for disease control by conducting surveys and analyzing laboratory data of at-risk groups, by performing nation-wide cross-hospital epidemiological studies and treatment /monitoring studies with support of AIDS designated hospitals in the country, by providing training to medical personnel, preventive planning for infected subjects, in order to, ultimately, provide recommendations on integrated HIV care and preventive strategies. Topic 1: Post-exposure Prophylaxis: provide services (such as health education consultation, testing, prophylaxis treatment, follow-up, etc…) and evaluate effectiveness of therapy and promote effective and practical plans for high-risk groups. Topic 2:Conduct domestic research of HIV population: long-term clinical research and monitoring of HIV infected subjects including their clinical characteristics, drug therapy efficacy, side effects, management of opportunistic infections, inclination to seek medical treatment and high-risk behaviors. Topic 3:Analyze HAART drug therapy, prophylaxis, factors related to preventive methods, such as use of condoms among different infected populations in order to improve medical care and develop effective interventional preventive programs. Topic 4:Collect and monitor epidemiology data of HIV infected subjects: co-infections, drug resistance, genetic subtypes, etc… and clinical laboratory data, such as HAART drug blood concentrations. Report resistance surveillance data to Center for Disease Control on a regular basis. Topic 5:Conduct a series of HIV training programs for medical personnel: health education courses (at least 2 courses) and seminars (at least 15 courses) related to HIV care and universal precautions.