Saturday marks the 30th anniversary of the first-ever World AIDS Day and the final day of National AIDS Awareness Week in Canada.
Recent figures show nearly 37-million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS but only about three-in-four know their status.
Julie Dingwell, executive director of Avenue B Harm Reduction in Saint John, said the push is on for more people to find out their status.
“There’s been so many advances now in treatment,” Dingwell told our newsroom. “It’s not a life-threatening disease anymore, it’s become more of a chronic, manageable illness.”
It’s AIDS Awareness Week, In honour of this week the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly Building is illuminated in red to honour of those who we have passed, and those who continue to live with or affected by HIV AIDS. pic.twitter.com/TRjUN9rXjr
— AIDS NB | SIDA N-B (@AIDSNB) November 28, 2018
In Canada, about 86 per cent of the estimated 63,000 people with HIV in 2016 knew they had it and 81 per cent of those diagnosed were on treatment.
Volunteers gathered at King’s Square in uptown Saint John on Friday to tie red scarves as part of the fourth World AIDS Day Red Scarf Campaign.
Dingwell said the scarf symbolizes the red ribbon, which represents those affected by the disease.
“The scarves are put on the trees for people to take,” she said, noting there is a little card attached to explain their purpose.
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Story by Brad Perry
Twitter: @BradMPerry
Email: perry.brad@radioabl.ca
(Photo: AIDS NB/Twitter)
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