The Regional Director for Health said on Friday in Ponta Delgada that we are witnessing unprecedented progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

At the opening session of the 12th Days of the Centre for HIV Studies of the Portuguese Society of Internal Medicine, which was chaired by the Regional Secretary for Health, Sofia Duarte stressed that, according to the World Health Organisation report, the number of infections worldwide has declined 15 percent in the last decade.

With regard to this subject, the Regional Director said also that the number of AIDS-related deaths worldwide has declined 22 percent in the same period of time.
At the beginning of the three-day meeting, the government official also said that Healthcare Centres and Island Healthcare Units of the Regional Health Service have made available HIV screening tests in the Azores for several years, allowing an early, fast, free and confidential detection of HIV.

Sofia Duarte considered that the prevention and treatment of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome are the main goals that guided the creation and implementation of the Regional HIV/AIDS Infection Prevention and Control Programme, included in the Regional Health Plan for 2009/2012.

The Regional Health Plan is part of a regional strategy and national strategy to prevent infectious diseases, thus contributing to the implementation of the principles defined by the Health Act and the World Health Organisation, explained the Regional Director.

On the other hand, she defended that the coordination with the civil society and NGOs in the area of health improves the dissemination of communication and information, enhancing the implementation of prevention models that are most suited to the regional reality.

She also stressed that the regional structure responsible for the fight against HIV/AIDS has been recently amended, becoming more flexible and operational in order to accomplish the goals set by the Regional HIV/AIDS Infection Prevention and Control Plan.

The Regional Director announced the conduction of a study to begin in the first quarter of 2012 with the purpose of evaluating the perception of risks among young university students under this theme. It will be carried out in a joint partnership with University of the Azores, the Angra do Heroísmo and Ponta Delgada Nursing Schools and Cresaçor.

The government official also added that the Regional HIV/AIDS Infection Prevention and Control Plan has been implementing measures and actions in coordination with the Island Healthcare Units
 
As an example, she recalled the awareness raising initiatives that took place last Wednesday throughout the archipelago, especially with at secondary schools, in close coordination with the Regional School Health and Child and Youth Health Programmes, through School Health Teams.