World AIDS Day 2023: Let Communities Lead Says The World Health Organisation

World AIDS Day is observed on December 1st each year. with people around the world coming together to raise awareness and mourn for the souls that have been reaped because of this disease. This year, the World Health Organisation has stated that communities affected by the illness should be the ones leading the struggle against it. That is why this year’s theme for awareness has been revealed as Let Communities Lead. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the most advanced stage of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is an infection that attacks the body’s immune system. HIV has claimed 40.4 million lives to date (32.9–51.3 million), and it is still spreading throughout all countries, making it a major global public health risk. After years of reduction, several countries have reported increased rates of new infections.

HIV-related causes claimed the lives of 630 000 [480 000–880 000] persons in 2022, out of 1.3 million [1.0–1.7 million] new cases of the virus. Treatment for HIV infection is nonexistent. HIV infection, however, has developed into a manageable chronic illness that allows persons who have it to live long and healthy lives, owing to the availability of effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care.

Signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms of HIV differ according on the infection stage.In the initial months following infection, the disease spreads more readily, but many people do not become aware of their condition until much later. After infection, people may not show any symptoms for a few weeks. Some people may be suffering from a flu-like disease, such as fever, rash, sore throat, and headache.The immune system becomes progressively weakened by the virus. Other symptoms and indicators may result from this are enlarged lymph nodes, fever, diarrhoea, and coughing up weight.Serious infections can also occur in HIV-positive individuals if they do not receive treatment are TB (tuberculosis), serious bacterial infections, including cryptococcal meningitis, malignancies including lymphomas and Kaposi’s sarcoma.

HIV exacerbates other illnesses, including mpox, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.

It is important that society progresses from shunning away and humiliating people who have contracted AIDS and instead cares for and gives these individuals a nurturing space to heal both emotionally and physically. It is crucial that we, as a developed and modern society, view this as a medical and social problem rather than another regressive method in which marginalised people are shamed and morally policed for their sexual identities. It is only through collective effort to overcome this illness with compassion and scientific application that we can live in a world where such a heinous and brutal illness can be cured with ease.

Source: World Health Organization