World AIDS Day: A fight against stigma and life-saving help!

World AIDS Day: A fight against stigma and life-saving help!

Every year on December 1st, the...World AIDS Daycommitted. This year's occasion was marked by the frightening statistics of... UNAIDS published, which show that in 2023 approximately39.9 million peopleliving with HIV. Despite advances in treatment that prevent AIDS from breaking out and those affected not being contagious, deaths continued last year630,000 peopleof AIDS-related diseases and1.3 million new infectionswere recorded worldwide. These alarming figures show how important the commitment to education and therapy remains.

Around live in Austria8,400 peoplewith HIV, although new infections are stagnating. Nevertheless, the HIV cohort study reports that not all those affected have access to life-saving medication, as almost a quarter of those infected do not receive adequate therapy. A study also shows that in some countries, discrimination and stigmatization act as the main obstacles to fighting the disease, making access to medical care significantly more difficult. The number of infections is increasing in 28 countries, which further highlights the challenges in the healthcare system.

Global challenges in the fight against HIV

The current report from Volksblatt also highlights that of the 39.9 million people living with HIV worldwide, approximately 53% are women and girls. When it comes to treatment, the figures show that of the 30.7 million people worldwide receiving antiretroviral therapy, many are still missing out on more important healthcare resources. This discrepancy makes it clear that there is still a lot to be done in the global fight against HIV/AIDS in order to achieve the 2025 goals and reduce the infection rate.