A press conference dedicated to the World AIDS Campaign was held in Akmola region

November 22, 2022

On November 21, 2022, a press conference dedicated to the World AIDS Campaign under the slogan "Time for Equality" was held at the Regional Communication Service of the Akmola Region.

It is worth saying that the slogan was not chosen by chance. So over the past two years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other global crises, progress in the fight against HIV has slowed down, the amount of resources has decreased, which has led to a decrease in the availability and quality of services for testing, preventing and treating HIV infection for every person in around the world, according to UNAIDS.

According to medical workers of the Center for Prevention and Control of AIDS, in the Akmola region at the beginning of November this year, 952 people live with a positive HIV status, of which 91.5% receive antiretroviral therapy, which is provided by the state free of charge.

Over the past three years, the number of HIV tests in our region has increased from 94,690 to 109,047 tests. Of the tests carried out over the ten months of 2022, the virus was detected in 96 people. The main route of transmission of the infection is sexual or 68.8% heterosexual and 5.2% homo-bisexual, through injecting drug use 18.7% and in 7.3% of cases the route of transmission has not been established.

According to the chief doctor of the center Kurmanbek Burmaganov: “A lot of work is being done in the Akmola region to provide equal access to testing, prevention and treatment of HIV infection for every person, especially with communities at high risk of infection. Thus, over the past three years, survey coverage of the population and key groups has increased by 13 percent. For wider access to HIV prevention among KPs, new forms of work are being introduced, for example, web outreach, which is already bearing fruit. Over 90% of our patients are on antiretroviral therapy.”

The center’s health workers also said that in order to ensure equal access to prevention programs and minimize the risks of HIV infection among key populations, the Harm Reduction program is operating in our region, to which more than 1,100 people have already applied, 92 percent of whom have undergone various examinations, including testing for HIV. In addition, more than 15 campaigns were held among the population in public places, covering over 2,000 people, of which 1,444 found out their HIV status using the express method.

Recall that the campaign will end with a large-scale youth action on December 1 at the Kokshetau Palace of Culture, where one of the first teenagers living with an open HIV status, Aida Muravyova, local creative teams with numbers, presenters with useful information about HIV, as well as each Those who wish will be able to undergo express testing for HIV in the hall of the recreation center.

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