DILI, 30 november 2023 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National Institute of HIV-AIDS of Timor-Leste (INCSIDA), on thursday (30/11) celebrated World AIDS Day by organizing a national seminar to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS to help control and prevent the spread of the disease in the country.
The seminar was organized at the Cathedral Hotel, in Dili, and was attended by students from the National University of Timor-Lorosa’e (UNTL), UNPAZ University, the University of Dili, etc.
During the seminar, the health authorities promoted HIV testing to encourage people, especially young people who suspect they have HIV/AIDS to get tested.
MoH’s Primary Healtcare Services Director, Elizabeth Leto Mau called on communities to have their blood tested and receive treatment if they test positive for HIV.
She said it was important to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, as the number of cases continues to rise in the country.
The representative of INSCIDA, Ivonia Antonia Barros, also urged young people to avoid free sex to prevent themselves from contracting the disease.
Previously, the President of INCSIDA, Daniel Marcal reported that INCSIDA has registered more than 2,000 cases of HIV/AIDS in the country, of which 1,065 HIV-positive people are on treatment, 577 have abandoned treatment, 200 have died, and around 160 lost to follow-up.
INCSIDA also registered 15 pregnant women infected with HIV/AIDS and 57 children under the age of five who were born to a mother living with HIV.
He said that the cases occurred in all municipalities, with the highest number of cases recorded in Dili with 1,507 infected persons, Bobonaro (113), Covalima (95), Oé-Cusse (62), Baucau (53), Ermera (35), Ainaro (33) and the remaining municipalities recorded more than 10 positive cases.
INCSIDA asks HIV-positive persons to continue taking regular treatment at health centers and not to go for traditional treatments that have no scientific basis, as there is currently no cure for HIV/AIDS.
Globally, only half (52%) of children living with HIV are on life-saving treatment, far behind adults where three quarters (76%) are receiving antiretrovirals, according to the data that has just been released in the UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2022.
UNAIDS reported that around 39 million people globally were living with HIV in 2022.
Around 1.3 million people became newly infected with HIV in 2022 and 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2022. More than 29 million people were accessing antiretroviral therapy in 2022.
This year 2023, the World AIDS Day Theme is “LET COMMUNITIES LEAD!”. The theme emphasizes the influence of communities on the HIV response and global health.
This annual event serves as a reminder of the global struggle to end HIV-related stigma, an opportunity to honor those we have lost, and a rallying cry to commit to working toward a day when HIV is no longer a public health threat.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected sex (sex without a condom or HIV medicine to prevent or treat HIV), or through sharing injection drug equipment, according to HIV Gov.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
