Credit: UN 

Today, Luxembourg took part in World AIDS Day, commemorated every 1 December since 1988, with a series of activities.

Each year, World AIDS Day calls on the world to respond actively to the spread of HIV and to show solidarity with people living with the illness. 
Since the first AIDS cases were discovered more than 35 years ago, 78 million people have been infected with HIV and 35 million have died of AIDS-related illnesses. Since its inception in 1996, UNAIDS has driven and inspired local, national, regional and international leadership, and promoted innovation and partnerships, to ensure that HIV is definitely a thing of the past.

For its part, since 2015 Luxembourg has been supporting the UNAIDS 90-90-90 strategy, which aims to accelerate the fight against HIV / AIDS with the vision of ending AIDS as a global epidemic by 2030. For that, 90% of people with the virus must be screened, 90% of those who test positive must be treated, and 90% of people treated must remain adherent to the treatment and achieve an undetectable viral load.

In order to provide a coherent and long-term response to this overall goal, the Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Action has developed partnerships with multilateral agencies and funds, including UNAIDS, WHO and the Global Fund. AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, as well as NGOs active in this field in Luxembourg and in developing countries.

Luxembourg's action seeks to target vulnerable and marginal populations so that no one is left behind. In addition, Cooperation places a special emphasis on gender equality, which is mainstreamed in all bi- and multilateral interventions that contribute to maternal and child health.

Nonetheless, the situation in Luxembourg is becoming increasingly worrying. In 2016, the number of new cases of HIV infections in Luxembourg reached a new record of 98 patients, including 73 men and 25 women. The main mode of infection remained heterosexual intercourse (39), followed closely by homosexual and bisexual sex (32) and drug use (21), especially in the 26-35 age group.

As part of World AIDS Day, various activities took place around Luxembourg, starting with a distribution of condoms at the central train station. There were also workshops for high school students led by national HIV experts, such as the HIV Red Cross Service, the Department of Preventive Medicine Division of the Ministry of Health, the Luxembourg Institute of Health, the National Infectious Diseases Service, the non-profit association Paticka and the NGO Stop Aids Now / Acces.

As screening remains the cornerstone of HIV prevention, the Mobile DIMPS Unit (mobile intervention device for the promotion of sexual health) wiere also be present at the Luxembourg station, offering quick, anonymous and free HIV testing.

Finally, the Oekozenter welcomed the public to its exhibition "AIDS, 35 years later", as well as the various artistic projects carried out as part of the competition "Preventive Art: Demistify Condoms".