2023-12-02 08:17:00
DREAM Program Renews Commitment to Provide Health Services in Africa on World AIDS Day
As the world celebrates World AIDS Day on December 1st, the DREAM program of the Community of Sant’Egidio has renewed its commitment to provide free and excellent health services in ten African countries. The program, which has been operating for 22 years, has established 50 health centers and 28 molecular biology laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa, providing training to local staff and offering free prevention and treatment services to 500,000 affected people.
One of the current challenges faced by the DREAM program is to focus its efforts on combating the leading cause of death among the continent’s youth – the AIDS virus. Data shows that HIV infections are very common among young African women, with 13.6% of girls in the 18 to 19 age group testing positive for HIV. The program is committed to contain this epidemic with concrete measures, including interventions during pregnancy to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
Health education and awareness raising are also important aspects of containing the spread of the virus among young people. The program carries out these activities through experts who have been treated in the health centers of Sant’Egidio and have become caregivers, providing young people with the information they need to undergo testing and treatment.
In order to win the fight against AIDS, constant training, financial resources, and a stronger synergy between all active actors in the area are needed. It is important not to let up and to carry out continuous information and awareness-raising activities in communities in order to reduce the number of new infections, especially among the young population.
On World AIDS Day, the DREAM program’s commitment to providing free and excellent health services in Africa is a reminder of the ongoing efforts to combat the AIDS epidemic and secure the future of the continent.]
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