TOMORROW the world will celebrate World Aids Day. The annual international day was founded in 1988 to unite the world in the fight against HIV, and remember those who have died from an AIDS-related illness.
People are encouraged to visit their nearest clinic or hospital to get themselves tested.
ALSO READ: Living Positively: 7 famous people living with HIV/Aids
Durbanites have also been invited to show their support by taking part in the World Aids Day and International Day for People Living with Disability Campaign fun walk at the Blue Lagoon Pier on Friday, 1 December.
The walk will start at 8am and the day’s official programme hosted by the Ethekwini Central Cluster will start at 10am.
HIV/AIDS facts:
According to AfricaCheck, 7.2 million people were living with HIV in 2016 (12.7 per cent). The number has grown significantly since 2012 which mid year population estimated indicated that 6.4 million people (12.2 per cent) were living with HIV.
To this day there is no cure for the epidemic, which has swept across the globe, however antiretroviral treatment provides those who have been infected to live longer and healthier lives.
In 2014 the World Health Organisation announced that South Africa had the largest antiretroviral therapy programme in the world – providing treatment to over three million people.
Last year on this day (30 November) 23-year old Nkosiyaze Ncube from Inanda became the first person to be injected with the new HIV vaccine – as the world’s first landmark clinical trial to test ‘an HIV/AIDS vaccine’ was launched.
Watch the footage here:
A recent population-level survey conducted by the Human Sciences Research council showed that there are six groups of people who had a higher HIV prevalence than the national average – and therefore at a higher risk of exposure:
– Black African women between 20 and 34 (HIV prevalence of 31.6 per cent at the time)
– People cohabiting (30.9 per cent),
– Black African males men between 25 and 49 (25.7 per cent),
– People 15 years and older living with disabilities, including physical and sensory disabilities (16.7 per cent)
– High-risk alcohol drinkers (14.3 per cent)
– Recreational drug users (12.7 per cent)
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