United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Liaison and Partnership Office (LPO) in Brazil

World Day to Combat AIDS : UNODC discusses about drugs and HIV at the international seminary Abramd

Brasilia, December 15, 2015 - Every year, on December 01 days is an important mark for actions against AIDS worldwide. With World AIDS Day, various activities are held to remind the society that the answer to AIDS still presents challenges. This year, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Brazil participated in different activities in celebration of World Day of fight against AIDS.

V International Congress Abramd

 The Representative of UNODC LPO in Brazil, Rafael Franzini, who attended the opening session of the V International Congress of the Brazilian Association of Drug Multidisciplinary Studies (ABRAMD), took the opportunity to guide a discussion about using drugs and HIV. In his speech, Rafael,  recalled that in some countries, such as Brazil, the HIV epidemic is concentrated in some groups, known as "key populations" and "vulnerable populations", who are people that represent a prevalence well above the national average of the Brazilian population . "People who use drugs make up this group of key populations and are therefore priority in the response to AIDS in Brazil. UNODC is with the government and Brazilian society to combat the HIV epidemic among people who use private drug and prison population." Franzini said.

Throughout the event, Rafael Franzini, also participated in a table that discussed the Special Session on Drugs of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGASS), to be held in 2016 and will be a unique opportunity for countries to discuss and rethink their drugs policies.

Disclosure of epidemiological bulletin of Brazil

According to the press conference held by the Ministry of Health to disseminate the latest studies on AIDS in Brazil, Brazil has reduced by 5.5% the detection rate of new AIDS cases in 12 years. However, the growth of the epidemic among young Brazilians is still a concern for the government. The report indicates that there was an increase of 36.5 % in the number of new AIDS cases in the past decade, among people aged 15-24 years.

"We have many challenges ahead and reduce the number of cases among young people is one of them. The fight against AIDS in Brazil is a world reference, but we pay attention to young people and is precisely why they are the target of the campaign against aids disease this year. We can not neglect, AIDS must be seen with seriousness, "said Minister of Health, Marcelo Castro. 

Still as Brazil's commitment to achieve the goal of the United Nations 90's until 2020 , the Director of the Department of STD/AIDS and Viral Hepatitis,Fabio Mesquita, said that on the goal of treatment, Brazil had already achieved 62 % of coverage and in the ultimate goal, the viral load was suppressed, the numbers are more encouraging. If you only consider adults, we achieved 90 % with undetectable viral load. But if we take into account all people in treatment, the percentage is 88%.

Appointment of the new Goodwill Ambassador of UNAIDS Brazil

To close the celebrations of the World Day to Combat AIDS , UNODC was also present in the nomination event of the new Goodwill Ambassador of the Programme Joint United Nations on HIV / AIDS (UNAIDS ), the singer, Wanessa Camargo.cantora Wanessa Camargo.

During the ceremony, there was the launch of the national photo exhibition "Positive in cans: Revealing Life". The photo exhibition is the result of professional training classes in photography conducted by the 'Positivo na Lata' about 100 young people living with HIV / AIDS in Brasília (DF) , Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and Belo Horizonte (MG).

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