Favour Ozioma Ogbodo
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has applauded the resilience, dedication and innovative spirit exemplified by community leaders and organisations in response to HIV/AIDS.
This was contained in a message to celebrate the World AIDS day, which is marked on 1st December annually.
It noted that community-led services help people fight the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease, while also advocating for access to affordable interventions.
The Director General of WHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, said, “The affected communities who fought for tools to prevent, test and treat HIV enabled 30 million people to access antiretroviral therapy, and helped to avert an unknowable number of infections. We stand together with communities to help end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.”
Globally, 9.2 million do not have access to HIV treatment that they need. Each day 1700 lives are lost from HIV related cases and 3500 people get infected without knowing their status or having access to treatment .
HIV innovative tools such a powerful once a day pill for HIV treatment and accessible viral loading testing, have enable significant progress.
