Yangon, Feb 26 (IANS): Myanmar has launched a HIV/AIDS Flagship project to be implemented in five regions and states with the highest rate of HIV infection, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Monday.

With a fund of $10 million and backed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the two-year project 2018-19 covers Kachin, Shan states and Sagaing, Yangon and Mandalay regions.

The project aims to beef up HIV prevention, testing and treatment services by utilizing non-governmental organisations and private sector health providers for the high-risk population -- people with HIV, drug addicts, sex workers and transgender people, Xinhua news agency cited the daily as saying.

The funding from the project will enable partner organisations to develop new outreach and adherence strategies, including social media outreach, common elements treatment approach, mental health counselling and research on transgender people.

According to statistics, there are 224,794 people estimated to be living with HIV in Myanmar which ranked 25 on the list of global countries having a high rate of HIV prevalence.

The rate of new patients with HIV infection dropped by 26 per cent in 2016 from 2010, while the death toll due to AIDS-related disease plunged by 52 per cent.