Public health: HIV infections appear to be on the rise again in Suriname

Today is World AIDS Day. Since 1988, December 1st marks World AIDS Day (World AIDS Day) and the world’s attention is focused on HIV and AIDS. This annual day highlights the fight against AIDS and calls for greater solidarity with people living with HIV and AIDS.

The health ministry said in a statement that interim HIV data from Suriname concluded that the number of new infections could rise again.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the data has been somewhat underreported. With the upcoming annual HIV data report in February and March 2023, this observation can be confirmed or disproved.

Social inequalities, marginalization of groups in society, as well as the stigma and discrimination of HIV, perpetuate the spread of the HIV epidemic and are fertile soil for the increase in the number of new HIV infections.

Internationally, it is evident everywhere that unequal access to HIV prevention and care is at the heart of the problem, and as a result HIV is not being pushed back any further, and in some cases even increasing again. This year’s WAD slogan “Equality” concretely indicates the essence of the direction in which the solution must be sought.

For the Ministry of Health, the focus in 2023 will be on making HIV prevention options available, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis, as well as expanding HIV testing options for the Surinamese community.

“In WAD, it is time to remind the person in the context of HIV that ‘prevention is better than cure’; knowing your status motivates you to stay negative, and if you are positive, it helps to seek timely treatment and that HIV cure is Really works.