37.7 million people are fighting HIV in the entire world

Cyprus International University (CIU) Faculty of Health Sciencse Academic Staff Assist. Prof. Dr. Nurcan Bilgiç advised that according to data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020, 37.7 million people were living with HIV, and that 73% of these individuals are in receipt of antiretroviral treatment.

Speaking within the 1st December World AIDS Day, Assist Prof. Dr. Bilgiç advised that HIV/AIDS is an infection that attacks the body’s immune system, and informed that HIV/AIDS infection effects all segments of society across the world, and due to it reducing the lifespan of its victims and its nature of spreading from person to person, it continues to be an important threat to public health.

Explaining that despite having HIV/AIDS, there are people across the world who do not know they are ill because they haven’t been diagnosed, Bilgiç explained that due to the measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic process, individuals were unable to reach health institutions, and thus, this caused delays in diagnosis.

Assist. Prof. Dr. Bilgiç stated that risky sexual contact, transmission via blood and blood products, and mother-to-baby transmission are among the transmission routes of the disease, and went on to say, “The HIV infection cannot be transferred by working at the same workplace with someone who is HIV positive, studying at the same school with them, being in the same environment, using common cutlery, or by touching and shaking hands, by the sharing of shower-bathroom areas, pools, and toilets, using common items such as a telephone, book, and notebook, and cannot be contracted via insect bites and fly bites”.

Emphasizing the fact that HIV is an infection that can be prevented, Bilgiç added that the prevention methods are much more effective and cheaper than the treatment.

Assist. Prof. Dr. Bilgiç drew attention to the importance of society health education within the scope of preventative methods, and concluded, “It is very important that the diagnosis of individual’s and the treatment of ill patients are not missed due to the COVID-19 pandemic”.