World AIDS Day is an important international day of remembrance aimed at raising awareness of health issues around the world. For the first time, the World AIDS Day was proclaimed by WHO on 12/01/1988. Since 1996, this day has been organized by UNAIDS, the UN program aimed at combating HIV and AIDS.
The purpose of this day and of the AIDS program is to raise public awareness of the disease, how it spreads, methods of prevention and treatment options. On this day, educational and memorial events are organized, during which future directions of activity are discussed, in many hospitals, free tests are done to detect the disease. On this day, it is customary to remember those who died from illness.
The symbol of International AIDS Day is the red ribbon, which is folded in a certain way and symbolizes the letter V.
At the Department of Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Phthisiopulmonology of KSMU, educational lectures, seminars, master classes, round tables dedicated to the International Day of Fight against AIDS are held annually. The teachers of the department, students of KSMU, are involved, the volunteer squad “Open Heart” takes an active part.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the final stage of a chronic infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), accompanied by profound disorders of the body’s immune system, which is defenseless against pathogenic microbes.
According to UNAIDS statistics for 2020, there were, on average, 37.7 million people living with HIV in the world, although according to some estimates, their number reaches 45.1 million. In Russia, only officially registered patients in the first half of 2021 were more than one and a half million people, of which almost 400 thousand people died.
AIDS PREVENTION
– avoid promiscuous and casual sex;
– for any sexual intercourse, use a high quality condom (with proper use, protection against HIV infection is 98%);
– give up the use of drugs;
– expose reusable instruments for manicure / pedicure / piercing / tattooing with disinfectants;
– if someone else’s blood gets on the wound surface, it is necessary to rinse the wound with running water, treat it with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide or an alcohol-containing solution (70%), after treatment, close the wound with a plaster;
– if blood gets on the mucous membrane of the eyes, rinse the eyes with water and drip with eye drops that have a tear-separating and disinfecting effect (for example, a 20% albucide solution);
– if blood gets on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, rinse the mouth with 70% ethyl alcohol;
–For first aid in case of bleeding, it is necessary to use rubber gloves and to protect exposed skin and mucous membranes of the eyes from the ingress of blood, any blood contamination should be considered as potentially dangerous;
– according to the current legislation, every pregnant woman must be tested for HIV infection. When a virus is detected in the body, special medications are prescribed to prevent intrauterine infection.
REMEMBER!Nowadays, there are no specific preventive measures and radical methods of treating HIV infection. A person becomes infected with HIV as a result of their irresponsible actions and deeds. Take care of yourself!
Assistant of the Department of Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Phthisiopulmonology, KSMU Tarabrina O.V.
Head Yudina S.M., Department of Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Phthisiopulmonology, KSMU