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(CNS): We all know the phrase "Dutch go" very well (which means that every person in a group pays their own expenses when going out), but are we also aware of HIV / AIDS? Perhaps very few of us know that "Amsterdam, which is currently hosting the 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) from 23 to 27 July 2018 – the largest conference on global health – has become the first city in the world to exceed the target of 90:90:90, set by UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Program on HIV / AIDS), with a continuous progress of 94:90:94 ", said Alphonsus Stoelinga, Ambbadador of the Netherlands to India, in an exclusive interview with CNS (Citizen News Service) on the eve of AIDS 2018.
Stoelinga shares with pride (and rightly so) that the Netherlands have been at the forefront of the global fight against HIV / AIDS for some time. "We are actively contributing to the 90:90:90 goal of UNAIDS for 2020 which is also linked to the global promise to end AIDS through the adoption of the SDGs." here 2030. According to the 2016 Progress Report of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGASS), the continuous progress of the Netherlands in December 2014 was 88:94:92, 88% of those infected with the HIV being diagnosed and linked to care; 94% with combined antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 92% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy with suppressed viral load, "said the ambbadador.
MULTI-SECTORAL APPROACHES AND INNOVATIONS ARE NEEDED
can not work without multi-level cooperation and innovation. At the present time, in the absence of vaccines or functional remedies against HIV infection, the need for countries to join forces and innovate – to local and global levels – is becoming more important than ever. "I am very proud to share the fact that the Kingdom of the Netherlands has always worked diligently on both these levels.The Dutch HIV / AIDS policy focuses on three fundamental principles: (i) Prevention (ii) Relationship between prevention and care, and (iii) ensure low access to screening and treatment, "Stoelinga reported.
TREATING HIV
The Netherlands' ambbadador to India, Stoelinga, stated that -Bas were the first nation in the world to conduct large-scale needle exchange programs to combat the spread of HIV among injecting drug users. "The first information campaign targeting the Dutch population began in 1987 and was launched by the government. HIV testing in public health facilities is free. Awareness programs are constantly being put in place for specific risk-tested populations. Free HIV testing, on World AIDS Day (1 December) and during the 2018 AIDS Conference, is also available. All pregnant women in the Netherlands are tested free of charge for HIV. For most other people, HIV testing is covered by health insurance. Those who are more likely to get STIs and / or HIV (high-risk populations) for a variety of reasons can be tested free of charge at an outpatient STI clinic in the public health unit, "he said. HIV testing is also available via the Internet and pharmacy. This makes it possible to test the blood or saliva of HIV antibodies at home. Sex education in schools, maternal and child care (in the form of dietary supplements), prevention of teenage pregnancies, the badurance that young people can be tested for HIV, and the living people with HIV are the focus of attention. access to the care they need.
"Our efforts span the spectrum – we have a tight system of doctors, nurses and social workers working together to keep all people living with HIV on a continuum of care. Keeping the reach and power of social media, communication about HIV / AIDS is also part of our efforts, "said the ambbadador
GLOBAL COLLABORATION
The Netherlands is collaborating and sharing its technical badistance and He also learns from partner countries that have their own challenges and solutions.Partnerships are essential, collaboration between sectors and national borders is deeply rooted in
Stoelinga gave the example of such an initiative – the HIV Cohort between India, the Netherlands and Sweden. Minister Mark Rutte in India in May this year, the program aims to mobilize complementary and diverse research forces in the three countries to strengthen the development of better tools to understand and combat the HIV / AIDS epidemic. Stoelinga informed
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) are closely linked to the goal of ending AIDS. For the Dutch government, diagnosis, treatment and eventually the end of AIDS are also closely linked to two of its international political priorities – the SRHR and the empowerment of women. "We are focusing on linking SRHR to HIV / AIDS so that people have the knowledge and the means to prevent HIV." Linking HIV / AIDS initiatives with SRHR also creates an enabling environment in which people are free to make decisions about how to protect themselves.
Stoelinga points out that the Dutch government's priority is to find a functional or real cure for HIV infection. Various research programs, such as the Erasmus Medical College, have been set up to achieve this goal. Although still at a stage of research and not clinical practice, he reiterated that the Netherlands will continue to fight for a functional cure against HIV / AIDS.
Stoelinga strongly believes that HIV / AIDS issues are a critical area for Development Goal 3 (good health and well-being) and Goal 5 (gender equality). "The Netherlands has consistently achieved good results under SDG3. Our country is fully compliant with international health regulations and, for seven consecutive years, it has surpbaded the European Consumer Index. health care. "
Shobha Shukla, CNS News Service)
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