Today, 1 December 2016, marks World AIDS Day, which encourages everyone to actively get involved in the fight against AIDS and show solidarity towards HIV-positive people.
World AIDS Day is a day to show solidarity with people who are HIV-positive and also to remember those who have died from the illness. Nowadays, some 36.7 million people in the world are living with HIV and many of them do not know that they are HIV-positive.
The year 2016 has been marked by several flagship events on a global scale in the fight against AIDS. For instance, in June 2016, the international community adopted a policy declaration of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
This ambitious policy has a number of aims to be met by 2020 which formally recognise the UNAIDS’ 90-90-90 objective. The aim is that by 2020, 90% of people with HIV will know that they have it, 90% of those who are diagnosed will receive lasting antiretroviral treatment, and 90% of those treated will have a lasting erased viral load.
Luxembourg supports this objective on all levels and has even delegated a special Luxembourgish 90-90-90 ambassador, Marc Angel, who is the President of the Commission of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Cooperation and Immigration in the Chamber of Deputies.
As of 15 November 2016, there were 84 new cases of HIV-positive people found in Luxembourg, which included 63 men and 21 women. An increase of 10% is predicted for the end of the year, meaning that we can expect a total of around 93 new cases to have been found in 2016. This is reminiscent of the record for registered new cases in 2014 with 97 people being HIV-positive, as well as in 2015 with 94 new patients.
The campaign aims to destigmatise the subject and encourage prevention methods as well as the need to get tested.
