According to statistics from WHO, there are an estimated 38,000,000 people living with HIV in 2019, 1,700,000 people newly infected with HIV in 2019, and 690,000 people died of HIV-related causes in 2019.
 
In the fight against AIDS and make the world a healthier place, we all have a role to play. COVID-19 is showing once again how health is interlinked with other critical issues, such as reducing inequality, human rights, and gender equality.
 
As an individual, one of the key things to end AIDS we can do is to know more about HIV/AIDS, tackle discrimination, and stop the stigma so as to promote the diagnosis and treatment of people living with HIV and improve their lives.
 
No one should die of ignorance - Increase HIV Awareness & Knowledge
 
WHAT’S HIV/AIDS?
 
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks the immune system to the point that it can no longer fight infection and disease.
 
Getting infected with HIV doesn’t mean getting Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection. Currently, with antiretroviral therapy (ART) becoming accessible to more and more people, most HIV-infected patients do not progress to AIDS.
 
The early diagnosis of HIV infection to get ART timely is of great importance to prevent patients from progressing to AIDs. Many HIV-infected people have flu-like symptoms, including fever, swollen glands, sore throat, rash, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint aches, which can be easily mistaken as flu and neglected. It can lead to undiagnosed HIV, jeopardizing health.
 
HOW'S HIV TRANSMITTED
 
HIV CAN’T be transmitted via:

1. Kissing, hugging, handshaking, and other similar ordinary day-to-day contact.
2. Others’ sneezes and coughs. HIV is not transmissible through saliva.
3. Insects or pets that bit a person with HIV. To transmit HIV, the infected insects or pets have to inject the blood into  another person’s body, which is unlikely to happen.
4. Sharing food, sharing toilets, and eating food with blood on it. HIV cannot survive without body liquid. 

HIV CAN be transmitted via:

1. Sharing of injecting equipment, surgical equipment. HIV can survive in a used needle for up to 42 days. When you are doing tattoos and piercings, you should make sure the professionals use the fresh needle on you.
2. Blood transfusion. However, rigorous testing for a variety of blood-related infections, including HIV ensures that banked blood does not contain any viruses.
3. Unprotected sex
4. Pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.

It is important to note that early access to consistent ART is critical not only to improve the health of people with HIV but also to prevent HIV transmission.

Encourage the Early Diagnosis of HIV - Improve Health & Prevent Transmission
 
HIV can be diagnosed through rapid diagnostic tests and self-tests within several minutes. And to ensure the accuracy of HIV diagnosis, WHO prequalified tests are recommended to use.
 
Wondfo One-Step HIV 1/2 Whole Blood/Serum/Plasma Test is a WHO prequalified, rapid point-of-care testing that detects HIV type 1 (including subtype O) and HIV type 2 antibodies (IgM and IgG) in human whole blood, serum, and plasma.
 
It’s easy to use and produces reliable results in only 15 minutes.

 

However, no single test can provide a full HIV diagnosis. A lab test conducted by a qualified health worker is required to confirm the infection. But this early identification greatly improves treatment options and reduces the risk of transmission to other people.
 
If the test result show “Positive”, people should be retested before they are enrolled in treatment and initiate ART to rule out any potential testing or reporting error. Once a person has started on ART, they should not be retested as the effect of ART in suppressing viral replication may extend to suppression of the immune response and therefore of antibody production, causing incorrect diagnosis.
 
World AIDS Day - Put People First & End the Stigma
 
Today’s December 1st, World AIDS Day, let’s pay tribute to all those working to provide HIV services.
 
We should all step up efforts in raising awareness and support of HIV to stop stigma and discrimination. And let's respond to WHO’s calls on global leaders and citizens to rally for “global solidarity” to maintain essential HIV services and to achieve healthier societies.


Reference:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids
https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-aids-day/2020
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/hiv-aids