Florianรณpolis Sees Success in HIV Prevention, But Stigma Remainsโข a Barrierโข to diagnosis
Florianรณpolis, Brazil – December 4, 2024 – Florianรณpolis is celebrating significant progress in the fight against HIV, โreceiving both the Silver Seal for eliminating vertical transmission of HIV and the Bronzeโข Seal forโ syphilis control. However, health officials are emphasizing that continued vigilance and โขaddressing societal stigma are crucial to further reduce infection rates and ensure all residents have access to care.
The recognition, awarded this Wednesday (Decemberโฃ 3rd), certifies the municipality has โฃachieved excellent indicators in prenatal care, guaranteeing adequate treatment for pregnant womenโ living with HIV orโฃ syphilis and preventing transmission to their babies. The seals are granted to cities with over โข100,000 โฃinhabitants meeting World Health โฃInstitution (WHO) criteria for near-elimination.
This localโข success mirrors a national trend: Brazil has seen a 13% drop in AIDS-related deaths between โข2023 and 2024, with 9,100 deaths โขrecorded in 2024 – the first time the number has fallen below โ10,000 in three decades. New AIDS cases also decreased by 1.5%,from 37,500 to 36,900,according to a newโ epidemiological bulletin releasedโ by the Ministry of Health on Monday (Decemberโฃ 1st).The country currently counts 68.4 thousand โฃpeople living with โHIV or AIDS, a stableโ number in โrecent years.
Despite these positive developments, officials warn that stigma, prejudice, andโค misinformation remainโข significant obstacles.”We managed to eliminateโ transmission to babies and โour challenge isโฃ to continue moving forward to control โthe HIV epidemic. Currently,what keeps people away from diagnosing andโข treating the disease is โขstigma,prejudice and misinformation,” explained Ronaldo Zonta,family doctor and coordinator of the SMS Clinic Management Department.
Throughout december, as part of the national Redโ December campaign focused on HIV/AIDS and STI prevention, care, and stigma reduction, severalโ events are planned in Florianรณpolis. The AIDS Prevention Support Group (GAPA) will host “Cine Debate”โข screenings of the series โฃ”oxygen masks willโ not fall off automatically” – depicting theโ early days of the AIDS epidemic – on the first three Thursdays of December (4th, 11th, and โ18th) at โ7pm at SapatecoBarโ (Rodovia Francisco Magno Vieira, 2832, Campeche). Each screening will be followed by discussions on treatment, โstigma, prejudice, and care.
On December 8th at 7pm, Bugio Centro (Rua Victor Meirelles, โEast Center) will host a presentation of “Creating Bridges: Women, Art and Intersectionality in the Fight โagainst HIV/AIDS”โข by Letรญcia de โฃAssis, a researcher from the Federal University of Santa Catarinaโ (UFSC). The presentation will feature two short films inspiredโข byโ her โdoctoral research on the experiences โof womenโ living โwith HIV/AIDS.
