With Theme ‘ Let Communities Lead’ a Walkathon held in the City to Mark ‘World AIDS Day 2023 organized by District Administration, District Health & Family Welfare Dept; DHO, Yenepoya Nursing College, among others.
Mangaluru: The world can end AIDS, with communities leading the way. Organisations of communities living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV are the frontline of progress in the HIV response. Communities connect people with person-centred public health services, build trust, innovate, monitor the implementation of policies and services, and hold providers accountable. But communities are being held back in their leadership. Funding shortages, policy and regulatory hurdles, capacity constraints, and crackdowns on civil society and on the human rights of marginalised communities, are obstructing the progress of HIV prevention and treatment services. If these obstacles are removed, community-led organisations can add even greater impetus to the global HIV response, advancing progress towards the end of AIDS.
This World AIDS Day is more than a celebration of the achievements of communities; it is a call to action to enable and support communities in their leadership roles. World AIDS Day 2023 will highlight that to unleash the full potential of community leadership to enable the end of AIDS: Communities’ leadership roles need to be made core in all HIV plans and programmes and in their formulation, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. “Nothing about us without us.” Communities’ leadership roles need to be fully and reliably funded to enable the required scale up and be properly supported and remunerated. “Not ending AIDS is more expensive than ending it.”
This year locally here in Mangaluru, the District Administration, District Health & Family Welfare dept; DHO; Lions Club of Katipalla/Krishnapura, Neuberg Anand Reference Laboratory Private Ltd, Mangaluru; joined by students of Yenepoya Nursing College; Canara College, SDM Law College, Mangaluru; NSS Mangaluru;among others took part in the WALKATHON to mark WORLD AIDS DAY 2023, with the theme ‘LET COMMUNITIES LEAD’. The Walkathon was flagged off by District Health Officer (DH) Dr Thimmaiah. from the front of Tagore Park-light House Hill road, moving towards Jyothi Circle, Bunts Hostel Road, M G Road and culminating at SDM Law College, Mangaluru.
Representing Neuberg Anand Reference Laboratory were Ms Aishwarya Vasudevan (Group COO); Yoganand (Zonal Sales Manager); Vatsalya Shetty ( Marketing Head) and the walkathon leadership was taken by Ms Akshaya Kotian, who also thanked the participants of the walkathon at the end. Following the walkathon, at the SDM Law College hall, a Free Health Check Up Camp was undertaken by Neuberg-Anand, where Blood Sugar Test; Blood Pressure Check; etc.Many availed this benefit, which was a key to manage diabetes.
District Health Officer (DH) Dr Thimmaiah (Centre) briefing about the HIV statistics
Prior to the Walkathon District Health Officer (DH) Dr Thimmaiah during a press meet had briefed the media persons stating that the number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Dakshina Kannada district is 10,431. he said “Nearly 81 per cent among them contracted infection due to unprotected sex, 363 pregnant women with HIV (PW HIV) had been identified across the district, 4,400 people across the district are availing ART (Antiretroviral therapy). Health department has been detecting people with HIV by conducting blood check-ups of those in the high risk group at regular intervals”.
Primary health centres (PHCs) across the district are also equipped to detect HIV cases and conduct counselling sessions, DHO informed. “People with HIV need to modify their lifestyle and have nutritious food. People with co-morbidities like Diabetes have lived for an additional 30 to 40 years,” he informed. Due to large-scale awareness, Adult HIV prevalence in dk district has dipped to 0.13 per cent. District Programme Officer, DAPCU, Dr Badaruddin M N, district ICTC supervisor Mahesh U K, and M & E Assistant Dattatreya were also present at the press conference.
STATISTICS :
Year PLHIV PW HIV
2017-18 530 (0.81 %) 13 (0.04 %)
2018-19 422 (0.75 %) 11 (0.03 %)
2019-20 263 (0.88 %) 07 (0.02 %)
2020-21 264 (0.84 %) 08 (0.02 %)
2021-22 270 (0.46 %) 05 (0.01%)
2022-23 338 (0.42 %) 09 (0.01%)
2023-24 (April-Oct) 530 (0.81%) 13 (0.04%)
Apart from this walkathon, similar celebrations were planned in Bantwal, Puttur, Sullia and Beltangady taluks Those with any queries about HIV infections can dial 1097 or ICTC centres.