Press Release “The Right to Health – The Right Way”

Annually in many countries, **December 1st** is observed as World AIDS Day. The history of this day dates back to 1988, when, at the initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO), a date was chosen to draw the attention of the global community to the problem of the spread of a new disease, the news of which at the time sounded like a death sentence. Over the past decades, HIV infection has ceased to be considered a deadly threat; it has become a manageable chronic condition. Modern drugs that suppress HIV activity, while not completely eliminating the virus, allow the disease to be kept under control, preserving the lifespan and quality of life of a person living with HIV.

 

HIV infection as a public health threat must be completely eliminated by 2030 – this ambitious goal was set as part of the Sustainable Development Goals eight years ago at the 69th session of the World Health Assembly. The implementation of this goal will prevent millions of deaths from AIDS, millions of new HIV infections, and ensure that nearly **40 million** people currently living with HIV have healthy and fulfilling lives. The UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) strategy
"95-95-95" defines the main tasks for achieving this goal:
95% of people living with HIV should know their HIV status; 95% of people who know their HIV status should receive treatment; and in 95% of people receiving treatment, it should be effective, and these people should not transmit the infection to others. The elimination of HIV infection as a public health threat does not negate the relevance of preventive interventions against new cases of HIV infection, and this means that even today we can consider **December 1st** as a day for **HIV prevention**.

The **World Day of the 2024 campaign** is marked by a call to action to protect everyone's health by protecting their rights. The campaign slogan "**The right to health – the right way**" reminds people that the **right to health** is not only access to quality medical careservices and medicines, as well as the right of every person to prevention and treatment, the right to make decisions about their health, the right to respectful and dignified treatment regardless of diagnosis. Acceptance, respect and care for every person are extremely important. Laws and practices that punish, discriminate or stigmatize people simultaneously hinder access to prevention, testing, treatment and care related to HIV.
The same applies to laws that impede the activities of people providing vital services for people living with HIV.

In Belarus, approximately
26 thousand people live with a HIV-positive status, in the Vitebsk region as of November 1, 2024 – 1,482. The state guarantees the provision of HIV treatment to all people living with HIV, regardless of the stage of the disease and immune status. A system has been created in our country to ensure the safety of donor blood and its components, and the risk of infection during medical care and non-medical procedures in specialized institutions has been minimized. Voluntary testing, including anonymous testing, can be done at any healthcare facility with a procedure room. Express self-tests are freely sold in pharmacies in all regions.
Anonymous counseling centers operate on the basis of state healthcare organizations and non-governmental non-profit organizations, providing, among other things, counseling and testing services for HIV infection for key populations.

Early detection of the disease and transparent statistics remain an important priority in preventing and controlling the spread of HIV infection. The predominant spread of HIV infection among the adult population (the largest number of new cases is registered in the age group of 35-49 years) and the prevalence of sexual transmission of HIV infection (in recent years, it accounts for more than 80% of newly detected cases) determine the main focus of preventive measures.

the current campaign in fostering a culture of responsible attitude towards one's own health.

For the sake of the future, it is necessary to prioritize the current informing of the population on HIV prevention issues, mobilizing the efforts of all stakeholders to unite all people, regardless of HIV status, in the right to health and preventing stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

As part of the World AIDS Day, information and educational events are being organized in institutions and organizations. They will be held in both traditional formats, such as campaigns, talk shows, and speeches, as well as in modern event formats using the internet space, flash mobs, contests, and exhibitions of works demonstrating a personal attitude to the problem and proposals for improving the effectiveness of preventive measures, preventing stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

Given the epidemiological situation, significant attention will be paid to preventive measures among the working population, including labor migrants, with express HIV testing using saliva.

Join us on this World AIDS Day. The events held will once again draw attention to the seriousness of this problem, convey information on HIV prevention to the population, motivate safe and responsible behavior and the preservation of one's own health.