I’ve been tested. The medicine we have today is saving lives and even stopping the spread of the disease. Georgia ranks second in the country for the diagnosis of new HIV infections, and Atlanta ranks fifth among similar metropolitan areas in the country for new diagnoses.
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The state goal for ending the epidemic means keeping new infections below 750 per year across the state.
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.
Paula Clark, the director of HIV Services at the Jackson County Health Department, said the rise is due in part to so many people not knowing if they have the virus. “Surely there is no need for all those who are HIV negative to be positive as this represents failure of our programmes to save them”, said Minister Haufiku.
Although you can live with the disease, Milano says the impacts should not be downplayed. Although concerned about the people affected by the disease, pastors can’t compromise on the tenets on their faith, such as handing out condoms to unmarried young people when the religion teaches abstinence before marriage.
According to the data in UNICEF’s Statistical Update on Children, Adolescents and AIDS, less than half of children under 2 months old are tested for HIV. It’s not the disgusting – well it’s a plague, but it’s not the frightful death sentence that it was in the 80s.
Another problem – a lack of education and treatment programs for people living in isolated communities.
Once infected, there is no way to get rid of the virus.
Over the past 15 years, the world has made strides to reverse the pandemic, but experts warn of a multibillion-dollar annual funding gap in the fight to eliminate the disease.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire on Tuesday disclosed that Nigeria contributes 3.4million to the global population of 36.9million persons living with HIV/AIDS.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement to mark the occasion that the world has a lot to learn from the AIDS response.
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Milano’s workshops take place every other Wednesday.
