04/11/2022
๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ง
4th of November, 2022
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๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐น ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ
The National AIDS Council Secretariat today launched the 2022 National and World AIDS Day theme.
The international theme is โ๐ฬ๐ค๐จ๐๐๐๐ญ๐โand the national one is:
๐ญ. ๐ฃ๐ก๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐พ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐; ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ก๐ผ ๐ข๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ(๐๐ป๐ด๐น๐ถ๐๐ต)
๐ฎ. ๐ฌ๐๐บ๐ถ ๐ข๐น๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ฎ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป; ๐ก๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐๐๐ถ๐บ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป(๐ง๐ผ๐ธ๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป)
๐ฏ. ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ ๐ง๐ฎ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ง๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ(๐ ๐ผ๐๐)
In announcing the theme Acting Director of the National AIDS Council Secretariat Mr. Tony Lupiwa said the theme focuses on addressing inequalities in accessing HIV Treatment and Prevention services, legal and other vital services which are still regarded as impediments to the progress in ending the AIDS pandemic.
โWe want to see our People Living with HIV, our key population like transgender people, Men with S*xual Diversity, the S*x Workers, and other marginalized population walk into a health facility to access HIV Treatment and Prevention Services or to a Police Station without being harassed or stigmatized,โ Mr. Lupiwa added.
Mr. Lupiwa stressed that the slogan โEqualizeโ complimented with the national theme โcalls for the following actions to be done:
โข Increase availability, quality and suitability of services for HIV Testing, Treatment, and Prevention so everyone is ell-served.
โข Reform laws, policies and practices to tackle the stigma and exclusion faced by people living with HIV, the key populations and marginalized populations so everyone is respected and well-come
โขEnsure the sharing of technology to enable equal access to the best HIV Science between communities and between the Global South and North.
Communities will be able to make use of and adapt the Equalize message to highlight the particular inequalities they face and press for actions needed to address them.
He said regardless of who they or their status, PLHIVs, Key Populations and other marginalized groups have the same equal rights as everyone else therefore should access these services without fear or being stigmatized.
โThese are our high risks groups that we need to protect. But if we deny their rights to these services, we will continue to see our statistics going up.โ Mr. Lupiwa added,
The latest statistics shows there are about 9 people infected with HIV each day, 2-3 deaths recorded in a day, 3400 news HIV infections in a year and an estimate of 58 000 People Living with HIV.
โWe can do more if we address these inequalities then this will help us to join the world end the AIDS pandemic by 2030.โโthe Acting Director stated.
In the meantime, to show support in commemorating the 2022 WAD, the National AIDS Council Secretariat is urging all government agencies, the private sector, provinces and districts, all stakeholders and partners to organize and support their own WAD programs.
Furthermore, the tradition to โWear Red โon World AIDS Day still stands. Wearing Red signifies continuous awareness on HIV and AID. It symbolizes ones support for People Affected by HIV and AIDS. Individuals are encouraged to wear red be it a red ribbon, shirt, cap etc while organisations can put up red ribbon on their offices to show their support for the awareness.
Ends//
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Mr. Tony Lupiwa
Acting Director
National AIDS Council Secretariat
