GETTING TO ZERO
THE aim of World Aids Day is to encourage citizens of all nations to be aware of HIV, to take action to reduce the transmission of HIV by promoting safe sex practices and to ensure that people living with HIV can participate fully in the life of the community, free from stigma and discrimination.
The theme for this year continues on last year’s theme: “Getting to Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero Aids deaths”.
According to UNAids, World Aids Day 2014 is an opportunity to harness the power of social change to put people first and close the gap between prevention and treatment.
Ending the Aids epidemic by 2030 is possible, but only by closing the gap between people who have access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services and people who are being left behind.
Closing the gap means empowering and enabling all people, everywhere, to access the services they need.
By closing the HIV testing gap, the 19-million people who are unaware of their HIV-positive status can begin to get support;
By closing the treatment gap, all 35-million people living with HIV will have access to lifesaving medicine;
By closing the gap in access to medicines for children, all children living with HIV will be able to access treatment, not just the 24% who have access today;
By closing the access gap, all people can be included as part of the solution.
UNAids says closing the gap means that ending the Aids epidemic by 2030 is possible.
On World Aids Day 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) will issue new recommendations to help countries close important gaps in HIV prevention and treatment services.
The guidelines will include advice on providing antiretroviral drugs for people who have been exposed to HIV – such as health workers, sex-workers, survivors of rape. They also include recommendations on preventing and managing common opportunistic infections and diseases such as severe bacterial and malaria infections, cryptococcal meningitis and the many oral and skin infections that can affect people living with HIV.
In 2013, WHO published consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretrovirals that promote earlier, simpler and less toxic interventions to keep people healthier for longer, and to help prevent HIV transmission. A growing number of countries with a high burden of HIV have adopted these guidelines.
In 2013, a record 13-million people were able to access life-saving ARVs.
However, the WHO says too many people still lack access to comprehensive HIV treatment and prevention services.
The 1 December supplement to the WHO consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection, released in June 2013, aims to help bridge that gap.