Over 1,000 Organizations in 72 Countries To Test One Million People For HIV November 26th – December 1st
World AIDS Day 2008—AHF Kicks Off Ambitious ‘One Million Tests’ Global Testing Campaign
By: AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Los Angeles CA - November 24, 2008
As part of a groundbreaking global effort to test one million people for HIV, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest AIDS group in the US which currently provides medical care and services to more than 86,000 individuals in 22 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia, is spearheading and coordinating the ‘One Million Tests World AIDS Day 2008’ campaign. The campaign, which has been organized by AHF in coalition with close to 1,000 global partners from 72 countries around the world, is mobilizing non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local and national governments, international relief agencies, faith-based organizations and civil society to participate. The goal: a worldwide commitment to conduct a total of ONE MILLION Free HIV Tests during an extended World AIDS Day week commencing on November 26th and culminating on December 1st—World AIDS Day.
Countries taking part in the ‘One Million Tests' campaign Include:
· Asia—Armenia, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, VietNam,
· Africa—Uganda, South Africa, Swaziland, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone
· Europe (Western)—Austria, England, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain
· Europe (Eastern)—Hungary, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine
· Latin America—Mexico, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guyana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, The Cayman Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela
· North America & the Caribbean—US, Canada, Anguilla, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Turks & Caicos, Trinidad, St. Vincent, Virgin Islands
· Australia—Australia, Fiji, The Solomon Islands
“Our ‘One Million Tests’ campaign is leveraging innovative testing strategies for streamlined and large scale HIV testing. We are embracing a variety of rapid testing modalities, group pre-test counseling models, and easy antiretroviral treatment referrals whenever possible,” said Terri Ford, Director of Global Advocacy for AHF and Coordinator of the ‘One Million Tests’ campaign, in a statement from Africa where she is overseeing AHF’s own World AIDS Day testing efforts in South Africa and Uganda. “Not only does antiretroviral treatment save the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS, it also helps prevent further transmission of the virus. Our growing list of global partners in this campaign is helping to establish an exciting new testing coalition with a united voice to advocate for both easily accessible HIV testing and access to lifesaving antiretroviral treatment worldwide when needed.”
There are currently 33 million people worldwide thought to be living with HIV/AIDS. Of these, only about three million people in the developing world have access to lifesaving antiretroviral AIDS medications. The vast majority the 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide have never been tested for the virus. The ‘One Million Tests’ seeks to demonstrate that widespread scale up of testing—with linkage to treatment, when needed--can be accomplished with global partners working together.
