There are at least 266 people living with HIV infection in BiH, of which there is little known even today. On the 1 December, Word AIDS Day, a coalition of non-governmental organisations from the area of the Municipality of IlidĹľa, consisting of the Institute for Youth Development KULT, Partnership for Health Association, Network of Youth Peer Educators Y-PEER, Youth Council of the Municipality of IlidĹľa and the Department of Public Health of the Sarajevo Canton will organise numerous activities in order to educate the BiH public, and especially youth, on this disease.
The first case of HIV infection in Bosnia and Herzegovina was registered in 1986. Today, there are at least 266 persons living with this infection in our country, and 126 of them have developed AIDS – a contagious and still incurable disease.
This disease is not very often discussed in BiH and the persons living with HIV/AIDS encounter different types of stigma and discrimination that manifest from mocking glances to direct hostility towards them, ignoring them or even being rejected from those closest to them. That is why the education on the infection is very important, according to representatives from the Department of Public Health of Sarajevo Canton. “The aim of this year’s commemoration of the World AIDS Day is to reach the greatest possible number of citizens by introducing them with informational and educational material, focusing their attention to the significance of prevention, promoting the Centre for Voluntary and Confidential Consulting and Testing, and all for the purpose of preventing the spreading of HIV and an early detection of the HIV status” – stated Haris Karabegovi?, the Project Coordinator of the Partnership for Health Association.
All over the world, 1 December is commemorated as the World AIDS Day and its commemoration began in 1988, on the initiative of the World Health Organisation. The aim of the World AIDS Day is to raise awareness on the necessity of a continuous delivery of treatment medications to HIV positive persons, the importance of testing and fighting against the stigma and discrimination of people that suffer from this disease or are infected with the virus.
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