Local church holds commemoration for world aids day

Fiji is considered to be a low prevalence country for HIV/AIDS as the estimated number of people living with HIV in Fiji is less than 1,000.

He then stressed the importance of a multi-sectoral approach to HIV/AIDS through active participation of all stakeholders including Civil Society Organisations, Private sector, Faith-based organisations, communities and people living with HIV and AIDS.

The theme for this year’s commemoration is: “On the Fast-Track to end AIDS”.

Speaking on World Aids Day yesterday, Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor said that a year ago, 42 per cent of people said they were willing to share a meal with someone infected with HIV/Aids, up from 30 per cent in 2012. We still have a majority of people living with HIV that haven’t been diagnosed and aren’t on a treatment program.

“If we don’t talk about and we don’t bring it back to the forefront, we’re going to have a generation of young people that are going to be contracting the disease”, he said.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city will spend $23 million to provide more services for 200,000 individuals, including providing medicine at the early onset of HIV and medicines created to prevent infection.

Medication is helping people live longer and keep their HIV in check, he said.

The buy-in is part of a city- and county-wide effort announced to coordinate with World AIDS Day on Monday.

Strategies include improving the screening rates for HIV and AIDS and bolstering awareness of preventive treatments, including a daily pill available for high-risk people. Especially, why the youth are more susceptible to new infections than the adult population.

News 3’s Courtney Cole spent the day at Forsyth Park where the Georgia Department of Public Health provided free tests. “But we have to take a look at what’s been actually done to make sure people have been tested and in treatment”. New HIV infections have been reduced by 35% since 2000 and AIDS-related deaths have been reduced by 42% since the peak in 2004.

“I am here to commemorate those of us who have died and celebrate those who are alive”, said 24-year-old Lucy Wanjiku who contracted HIV at the age of 20.