It’s Fast, It’s Furious, It’s AIDS! AJ Hospital marks WAD
It’s Fast, It’s Furious, It’s AIDS! AJ Hospital of Medical Sciences, AJ Hospital of Dental sciences in coordination with Departments of Community Medicine, Public Health Dentistry, NSS Unit AJIDS, and Marketing AFHRC observe World Aids Day on Thursday, 1 December.
Mangaluru: World Aids Day has been held on 1 December every year since 1988. It is dedicated to raising awareness of the disease caused by the spread of HIV. Since it was launched, a tremendous amount of progress has been made in reducing the stigma still faced by many, and the number of people dying from Aids-related illnesses since the first cases were reported. The theme of this year’s event is Hands up for HIV Prevention. The campaign looks at ways to improve prevention strategies, identifying key areas among specific groups of people who are vulnerable to transmission – adolescent girls and young women in particular.
Sources reveal that the world has committed to end the ongoing epidemic by 2030 and countries are increasingly working to stop transmission between mother and baby. The report showed more and more countries were getting on the Fast-Track – an initiative launched in 2014 that sets out plans to bring the Aids epidemic to an end by 2030. The latest report found that in the six months to June 2016, an additional million people had gained access to anti-retroviral treatment. Co-infections such as TB, cervical cancer and hepatitis C mean the target of having fewer than 500,000 Aids-related deaths by 2020 “out of reach”. Indeed, women living with HIV are up to five times more likely to develop cervical cancer, while TB caused around a third of Aids-related deaths last year.
Since the start of the epidemic, 78 million people have been diagnosed with HIV. An estimated 35 million people have died from Aids-related illnesses since it began. 1.1 million people died from Aids-related illnesses last year. 40 000 of these were children. By June 2016, 18.2 million people had access to antiretroviral therapy. By the end of 2015, 36.7 million people were living with HIV. 2.1 million were diagnosed that year. With access to treatment, people living with HIV are living longer. Investing in treatment is paying off, but people older than 50 who are living with HIV, including people who are on treatment, are at increased risk of developing age-associated noncommunicable diseases, affecting HIV disease progression.
AIDS is not over, but it can be if we tailor the response to individual needs at particular times in life. Whatever our individual situation may be, we all need access to the tools to protect us from HIV and to access antiretroviral medicines should we need them. A life-cycle approach to HIV that finds solutions for everyone at every stage of life can address the complexities of HIV. Risks and challenges change as people go through life, highlighting the need to adapt HIV prevention and treatment strategies from birth to old age.
The success we have achieved so far gives us hope for the future, but as we look ahead we must remember not to be complacent. We cannot stop now. This is the time to move forward together to ensure that all children start their lives free from HIV, that young people and adults grow up and stay free from HIV and that treatment becomes more accessible so that everyone stays AIDS-free. With concern towards this terrible disease AH Hospital and Research Centre along with other departments observed “World Aids day” on 1 December on the premises of the hospital.
With the motto, “One Ribbon. One Message”, the Signature and Rec Ribbon Campaign was inaugurated by releasing red balloons in the air by the concerned authorities of various hospital departments. Vice president of AJ Institute and Medical Sciences and Research Centre-Prashanth Shetty; Medical Director of AJHRC- Dr Prashanth Marla; Dean of AJIMS and RC- Dr Ashok Hegde; Principal of AJIDS- Dr Bharath Shetty; Principal of AL Allied Health sciences- Dr Francis Monteiro; Medical Superintendent of AJIMA and RC- Dr Jayaram and others joined in the inauguration ceremony.
To mark this Day, Signature and Red Ribbon Campaign at various places in the Hospital surroundings was held between 8 am-10 am: Health talks in various languages like Kannada, Tulu, Malayalam Hindi and English were held today to bring awareness on AIDS. Giving the key message for World Aids Day, Dr Jayaram speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “HIV can be transmitted through unprotected sex, blood and from infected mother to child; Unprotected sex is in any form of penetration (Vaginal, anal, oral) without condom; Having other sexually transmitted infections increases the risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV;
He further said, “HIV does NOT spread through – shaking hands, sharing combs, eating from the same plate or hugging, sitting close to HIV+ people, towels or clothes, sharing toilets, through mosquitoes, bedbugs, other insects or animals; HIV/AIDS can be prevented; Practice ABCs of safe sex. “A” stands for abstinence from, “B” for being faithful to your partner, and “C” for using condoms correctly and consistently; Condoms offer protection against pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases; The only way to know if you have HIV is to be tested at the nearest ICTC; Testing for HIV is confidential; A person is never forced to disclose he results of the test to anyone; Whatever the result, knowing the status is the best thing you can do to protect your own and your family’s health.”
” HIV-Positive individuals can live a long and healthy life if they take complete and regular treatment. An individual positive for HIV/AIDS has the same rights and should face no discrimination because of his conditions” added Dr Jayaram. Doctors, medical students from various departments, nursing students and Hospital staff participated in today’s event to mark “World Aids Day”
