World AIDS Day

An Indian NGO volunteer lights candles placed on the ground in the shape of a red ribbon during an awareness rally on the eve of World Aids Day in Agartala, the capital of northeastern state of Tripura on Thursday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

AIDS campaigners say pandemic has finally reached tipping point

LONDON - The world has finally reached "the beginning of the end" of the AIDS pandemic that has infected and killed millions in the past 30 years, according to a leading campaign group fighting HIV.

The number of people newly infected with HIV over the last year was lower than the number of HIV-positive people who joined those getting access to the medicines they need to take for life to keep AIDS at bay.

But in a report to mark World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, the ONE campaign, an advocacy group working to end poverty and preventable disease in Africa, warned that reaching this milestone did not mean the end of AIDS was around the corner.

"We've passed the tipping point in the AIDS fight at the global level, but not all countries are there yet, and the gains made can easily stall or unravel," said Erin Hohlfelder, ONE's director of global health policy.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS is spread via blood, semen and breast milk. There is no cure for the infection, but AIDS can be kept at bay for many years with cocktails of antiretroviral drugs.

United Nations data show that in 2013, 35 million people were living with HIV, 2.1 million people were newly infected with the virus and some 1.5 million people died of AIDS. By far the greatest part of the HIV/AIDS burden is in sub-Saharan Africa.

The AIDS pandemic began more than 30 years ago and has killed up to 40 million people worldwide.

The United Nations AIDS agency, UNAIDS, says that, by June 2014, some 13.6 million people globally had access to AIDS drugs, a dramatic improvement on the 5 million who were getting treatment in 2010.

"Despite the good news, we should not take a victory lap yet," said Hohlfelder.

She highlighted several threats to current progress, including a $3 billion shortfall in the funds needed each year to control HIV around the world.

"We want to see bold new funding from a more diversified base, including more from African domestic budgets," she said.

ONE also noted that HIV is increasingly concentrated among hard-to-reach populations such as injecting drug users, gay men and sex workers - groups who are often stigmatised and have trouble accessing treatment and prevention services.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Counseling important for those testing for AIDS

MANILA -- It is not easy to psyche yourself to get tested for HIV-AIDS.

That's why Dr. Regina Berba and Dr. Ronald Elepano of The Medical City's I-React Clinic stressed the importance of counseling for those who want to be tested for HIV-AIDS.

In celebration of World AIDS Day on Sunday, ABS-CBN's "Salamat Dok" invited experts from I-React Clinic to discuss the disease.

"Hindi madaling lumantad at pumunta sa isang clinic for HIV testing," explained Elepano, noting that there is also a stigma associated with the illness, especially since it is a sexually-transmitted disease.

In the Philippines, 491 new cases of HIV-AIDS were reported in October with majority of the new patients between the ages of 15 and 24.

The two experts noted that hormonal surges are at its peak between these ages, which may be a factor in the increase of HIV-AIDS cases.

They pointed out that it is mandated by law for all HIV-AIDS clinics to conduct pre-test and post-test counseling for patients undergoing AIDS testing, whether they turn out to be HIV negative or positive.

"Mahalagang maintindihan nila na hindi hindrance ang HIV sa pagpapatuloy ng work o studies nila," Berba said, stressing that it is important to remember that not all patients with HIV will end up having AIDS.

The experts advised those who will undergo testing to bring their family with them, as they are an important source of inspiration and hope for the patient.

Elepano, for his part, stressed that acceptance is important for a person with HIV to live a normal life.

"Kinakailangang tanggapin ng isang tao na mayroon siyang ginawa sa kanyang past na naglagay sa kanya at risk of HIV-AIDS," he said.

The two experts said that in order to prevent infection, it is important to avoid multiple partners and to always practice safe sex.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com