On the World Day of the Fight against AIDS, the city of Dénia joined the UNAIDS initiative "Light for Rights", turning off the lights on the facade during the institutional act and then lighting them with the aim of "making the light shine" on access to prevention, treatment, care, support and rights of people with HIV / AIDS and combat all forms of stigmatization and discrimination. "
The statement read has been as follows:
INSTITUTIONAL DECLARATION OF THE WORLD AIDS DAY 2011
30 YEARS OF ACHIEVEMENTS, 30 YEARS OF CHALLENGES
On the occasion of World AIDS Day, the Government of Catalonia and the City Council of Dénia join today the initiative of UNAIDS "Light for Rights" to remember the importance of respecting the rights of people living with HIV / AIDS in Spain.
Lighting the facade of the City Council, we want to shed light on access to prevention, treatment, care, support and rights of people with HIV / AIDS and combat all forms of stigmatization and discrimination.
Thirty years have passed since the first diagnoses of AIDS in the world. During this time there have been great advances in the knowledge and treatment of the infection but we have pending challenges in relation to the prevention of early diagnosis, vaccination, chronicity and social approach.
Achievements
We know that HIV infection can be transmitted by having unprotected sex, by sharing a sharp object that has been in contact with infected blood, or it can also be transmitted during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding if the mother has HIV.
We know that it is not transmitted by kisses, caresses, tears, sweat or saliva, or by sharing common objects.
We know that it is possible to prevent using the condom correctly in sexual relations and avoiding the sharing of injection material for drug use.
We know that it can be detected with a specific, voluntary and confidential analysis.
We have antiretroviral treatments that improve the quality of life of infected people, increase their survival and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus.
We know the importance of support for people infected with HIV, which is essential for a comprehensive approach to the epidemic.
Challenges
In the absence of a treatment or a vaccine, prevention remains the most important and effective element. We must intensify the promotion of condom use and continue working in the search for vaccines and methods that reduce or eliminate HIV from the body.
In Spain it is estimated that there are 120.000 and 150.000 people with HIV, of which between 25% and 30% is unknown. Therefore, they can transmit the infection and not benefit from the treatment. Avoiding delay in diagnosis remains a challenge.
People with HIV are subject to the erosion caused by the infection, the side effects of treatments and other chronic infections. It is necessary an integral and multidisciplinary approach that contemplates chronicity and that includes medical, psychological and social aspects.
Civil society and administrations must continue collaborating to respond to the pending challenges and seek joint participation in the development of social policies.
There are still situations of discrimination against people living with HIV. We must continue adopting measures so that situations of discrimination do not occur.
Currently the number of people infected with HIV continues to increase; For this reason, modifying the course of the epidemic is a public health challenge that requires the involvement of the entire society.
