World AIDS Day 2020 outreach. All over the world, December 1st 2020 is designated as World AIDS Day, theme: Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Resilience and Impact”. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite to increase HIV awareness, speak out against HIV stigma and remember those who have died from this illness. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) AIDS is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome).
Once people get HIV, they have it for life, but with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. At the end of 2019, according to WHO, there were almost 38 million people globally living with HIV. The number of new HIV infections continues to decline. However, the progress is much slower than what is needed. According to WHO, in 2018 there were an estimated 1.1 million new HIV infections in the African Region (70% in the East and Southern African sub-region; 30% in the West and Central African sub-region).
In sub-Saharan Africa, the main mode of HIV transmission is through heterosexual sex along with an associated epidemic in children through vertical transmission. As such, women are disproportionately affected accounting for 58% of the total number of people living with HIV, have the highest number of children living with HIV and have the highest number of AIDS-related deaths.
Treatment of HIV and AIDS
With more than thirty years of the HIV epidemic, there is still no cure or an effective vaccine, however, there have been major advances in treating HIV as the availability and rapid scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) have transformed what was inevitably fatal disease to a chronic, manageable condition leading to notable declines in the worldwide rates of AIDS-related deaths and new infections. Ongoing free HIV community outreach
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Antiretroviral drug treatments can tremendously decrease the number of HIV-related deaths by delaying the progression of the virus and allowing people to live relatively healthy normal lives. If you fear you may have come in contact with someone who may be infected, get tested. HIV can be diagnosed through rapid diagnostic tests that can provide same-day results. Rapid tests and self-tests have greatly facilitated diagnosis and linkage with treatment and care. HSDF provides free testing.
How to get involved
Come over to office of Enugu State agency for the control of HIV/AIDS opposite the State secretariat by Ridgeway road.
Take off time: 9 am.
How to support HIV/AIDS Awareness education in Nigeria.
Send funds to support HSDF free HIV testing outreach to reach more rural communities in Nigeria.