To mark the World AIDS Day 2016, on December 1, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) launched the “Hands up for AIDS” campaign to echo the“Hands up for #HIVprevention” campaign initiated by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) this year. Led by Taiwan CDC Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩), Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Chen Yi-ming (陳宜民), Taiwan AIDS Society Board Director Dr. Lin Hsi-hsun (林錫勳), and Internet celebrity XXXXCat (四叉貓), hundreds of people gathered in Liberty Square. The crowd lined up in the shape of a giant red ribbon with mobiles in their hands glowing in red lights, demonstrating the society’s determination in HIV prevention. The red ribbon is the symbol of solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS.  

Taiwan CDC Director-General Chou pointed out that the biggest challenge in raising awareness of HIV prevention was social stigma, which could lead to isolation of HIV-positive people and prevent them from seeking proper testing and treatment. Delayed diagnosis and treatment for HIV will lead to complications such as symptom escalation or worse, death. Director-General Chou stressed that to effectively control the epidemic, multi-faceted approaches, including the implementation of sex education, safe sex practices, anti-discrimination campaign and the provision of proper testing services, medication, and treatment, must be adopted for HIV prevention.

According to the statistics compiled by Taiwan CDC, as of the end of October this year, about 1,991 people were diagnosed with HIV and the total number of HIV-diagnosed individuals in Taiwan reached to 33,018. Based on the statistics from last year, 70% of the HIV-diagnosed patients were between the age of 15 to 34. The primary age group is 25 to 34 (42%), followed by 15 to 24 (28%). Furthermore, the main route of HIV transmission is through unprotected sex (89%).

In order to improve the willingness of HIV high-risk individuals and patients to receive necessary treatment, Taiwan CDC has referred to international practice in facilitating oral HIV home testing. The service aims to provide testing and consultation to those who wish for more privacy. Ultimately, the objective is to provide appropriate treatment at early stage of diagnosis. In addition, Taiwan CDC also provides pre-exposure prophylaxis to HIV high-risk individuals. Furthermore, Taiwan CDC recommends the one-pill, once-daily drug regimen as the first line HIV therapy in the hope to provide better medication to those who are infected.

Taiwan CDC would continue to work with other government agencies, local health authorities and private sectors to formulate more friendly HIV prevention strategies. Additionally, Taiwan CDC urged the public to support HIV prevention and help create a “zero infections, zero AIDS-related deaths, zero discrimination” living environment for all.