To coincide with World AIDS Day, the Vatican has appealed for universal access to HIV/AIDS treatments.
The statement from the Pontifical Council for Healthcare Workers says says World AIDS Day is a privileged moment to relaunch the fight against social prejudice and that World AIDS Day is a new opportunity to
- promote universal access to therapies for those who are infected,
- prevent the transmission of AIDS from mother to child,
- educate people in appropriate lifestyle choice that is truly correct and responsible as regards sexuality.
An estimated 1,800,000 people still die every year because of HIV/AIDS, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Vatican says deaths from AIDS are no longer justified; particularly the deaths of young children who have caught the disease from their mothers.
“These are people who could lead normal lives if they only had access to suitable pharmacological therapies, those known as antiretroviral therapies,” the statement reads.
The Vatican expressed its appreciation to all those healthcare workers who are exposed to the risk of infection.
Sources
- VIS
- Spero News
- Image: Culture Surfing