WORLD AIDS DAY- TREAT EVERYONE LIVING WITH HIV!

Today, Dec. 1 marks the World AIDS Day and it is being commemorated under the theme, “Take care of the complete you: ask for a HIV test too”.

To mark the day in Nigeria, several organizations are organizing HIV awareness activities and testing.
One of such organizations, the Red Ribbon Coalition, is embarking on 4-day nationwide community outreach in various Local Government Areas to reach over 3.5 million Nigerians with HIV key messages and 7, 500 for HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) services.

For this year's commemoration, the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that every person living with HIV should commence antiretroviral therapy regardless of their immune status---meaning every person that tests positive to HIV should start therapy immediately.

The WHO made the decision to offer treatment to every person living with HIV after trial results published earlier this year confirmed that people living with HIV who began antiretroviral therapy soon after acquiring the virus – before the virus weakened their immune systems - were more likely to stay healthy and less likely to transmit the virus to their partners.

The WHO said this treatment holds the key to ending the AIDS epidemic within a generation.

Hopefully, one day there will be a cure for HIV but till then we will make do with potent medications that can slow the disease.

So get tested, encourage your family and friends to do the same and don't forget your ABCs (Abstinence, Be Faithful, Condoms).

STAY HEALTHY!