‘It’s Not Over’ until AIDS is Defeated: AHF Poland Marks World AIDS Day

LUBLIN, Poland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On World AIDS Day, which falls on 1 December 2024, AHF Poland, in collaboration with the SEXEDPL Foundation, reminds everyone that HIV affects each and every one of us and encourages testing. Starting on 28 November, a comic created by the illustrator Herzyk will be displayed on multimedia screens across Poland for seven days, addressing this issue. The display will also feature a QR code, allowing individuals to quickly and anonymously ask SEXEDPL experts questions about intimate health.

On 1 and 2 December, educational materials related to World AIDS Day will be published on the communication channels of SEXEDPL and AHF Poland. Additionally, AHF Poland has organised an informational meeting for students of the College of Enterprise and Administration in Lublin on 11 December 2024 at 1:00 PM under the slogan "It’s Not Over." The meeting aims to raise awareness, promote prevention, testing, and treatment, and provide support to people living with HIV in Poland and around the world. The meeting will also include the opportunity to take a free and anonymous HIV test.

Despite decades of progress, around 40 million people globally are living with HIV, more than half of whom are women and girls, with approximately 1.3 million new infections reported each year, according to UNAIDS. Stigma and discrimination continue to keep individuals from seeking essential care, and many key populations face substantial barriers to accessing treatment. This World AIDS Day event will spotlight these challenges, emphasizing the need to keep HIV/AIDS a priority on national and global public health agendas.

“It’s Not Over” – World AIDS Day at WSPiA in Lublin is an event for a diverse group of students from Poland and around the world, aimed at raising awareness about the importance of caring for reproductive and sexual health. The event will also include the opportunity to take a free and anonymous HIV test.

What:	Informational meeting, free and anonymous HIV testing, and access to condoms.
When:	11 December 2024, 1:00 PM
Where:	Higher School of Enterprise and Administration (WSPiA), ul. Bursaki 12, Lublin
Who:	AHF Poland Team
Available:	Free HIV tests, condoms, brochures, and promotional materials.

“Over the past two years, Poland has seen a sharp increase in new HIV infections and other sexually transmitted infections, yet conversations about sexual and reproductive health remain limited. General practitioners rarely encourage HIV testing, and the topic is absent from schools and universities. Poland also lacks sexual health clinics, and access to free, anonymous, and stigma-free testing and counselling remains restricted. At AHF Poland, we believe it’s time to change this. Everyone living in Poland, regardless of origin, deserves knowledge and resources to care for their health and life. We are thrilled to host events like the one at WSPiA in collaboration with the university leadership, whose caring and progressive approach to their students is commendable,” said Anna Szadkowska-Ciężka, AHF Poland Country Program Director.

“Europe faces a unique challenge as we see a stagnation in the HIV response, particularly in Eastern Europe, where new cases continue to rise. We must reinvigorate our public health strategies to prevent new HIV infections and ensure our health systems are adequately funded to support accessible testing, treatment, and stigma reduction efforts,” said AHF Europe Bureau Chief Daniel Reijer. “On this World AIDS Day, let’s unite in our efforts to advocate for a renewed commitment to ending the HIV epidemic—because ‘It’s Not Over’ until we achieve it.”

World AIDS Day serves as a vital platform for HIV/AIDS advocates to acknowledge the progress made, remember those we have lost to AIDS-related illnesses and those who carry on the fight, and call on governments worldwide to commit the necessary resources and political support to end HIV/AIDS. On this World AIDS Day, we’re reminded: It’s Not Over.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global nonprofit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to over 2 million people in 48 countries worldwide in Africa, the Americas, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Europe. We are currently the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare.