My health, my right

1 dic 2017
Tempo di lettura: 1 min

As stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all people, whoever they are and wherever they live, have the right to health.

35.0 million people worldwide have died since the beginning of the epidemic.

76.1 million people have been infected since the beginning of the epidemic.

We're talking about HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It puts a person with the virus at risk for serious infections and certain types of cancer. AIDS means Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and is the final stage of HIV infection, although not all people with HIV develop AIDS.

A day like this is important because every year 2.1 million people are diagnosed with HIV infection, and awareness must be raised to prevent infection. Condoms are the best way to prevent infections caused by sexual intercourse. Also, it is not recommended to use needles already used by others.

This year's campaign will focus on the right to health; it will aim to increase visibility around the need to achieve full realization of the right to health for all and everywhere.

On the eve of World AIDS Day, UNAIDS has launched a new report showing that access to treatment has increased significantly. In 2000, only 685 000 people living with HIV had access to antiretroviral treatment. By contrast, in June 2017, some 20.9 million people had access to these vital drugs.