World Aid's Day: A fight against stigmatization and life-saving help!

World Aid's Day: A fight against stigmatization and life-saving help!

Österreich - On December 1, the World Aids Day is celebrated every year. On this year, the terrifying statistics of the unaids were released that in 2023 39.9 million people live with HIV. Despite the progress in the treatment, which enable AIDS to break out and those affected are not contagious, 630,000 people still died of diseases associated with AIDS and 1.3 million new infections were recorded worldwide. These alarming numbers show how important the use for education and therapy remains.

8,400 people live in Austria with HIV, with the new infections stagnating. Nevertheless, the HIV cohort study reports that not all those affected have access to life-saving medication, since almost a quarter of the infected people do not receive adequate therapy. A study also shows that in some countries discrimination and stigmatization act as main obstacles in the fight against the disease, which significantly complicates access to medical care. In 28 countries, the number of infection increases, which also illustrates the challenges in healthcare.

global challenges in the fight against HIV

The current report by Volksblatt also emphasizes that the 39.9 million people worldwide are about 53 % women and girls. With regard to the treatment, the numbers show that of the worldwide 30.7 million people who receive antiretroviral therapy, many still have to do without more important health resources. This discrepancy makes it clear that there is still a lot to do in the global fight against HIV/AIDS to achieve the goals set in 2025 and reduce the infection rate.