STOP AIDS. KEEP THE PROMISE - ACCOUNTABILITY

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) unites with partners throughout Kansas to commemorate the 19th annual World AIDS Day on December 1, 2006. The theme for this year’s commemoration, ‘Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise – Accountability,’ addresses the importance of prevention, testing, treatment and care programs for persons at risk for or living with HIV/AIDS.

As part of its efforts to decrease the overall burden of HIV/AIDS on individuals, communities and resources in Kansas, the Kansas HIV/AIDS program has set its objectives to reduce risk behaviors for the HIV transmission, screen and detect HIV infection at an early stage, and provide treatment services to HIV-infected individuals, delaying their progression to AIDS.

AIDS is one of the most destructive pandemics in recorded history. In 2005, there were an estimated 38.6 million people living with HIV worldwide and approximately 4.1 million people became newly infected with HIV. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 460,000 persons were reported as living with HIV / AIDS in the U.S. at the end of 2004.

In 2005, more than 3,100 Kansans had been infected with HIV since the beginning of the epidemic. Among individuals living with HIV infection, approximately 550 were infected with HIV but had not yet progressed to AIDS and approximately 1,150 were reported to be living with AIDS. The rate of infection for all newly diagnosed HIV cases in 2005 was 6.1 infections per 100,000 people.

The Kansas HIV/AIDS program has been consistently working on several fronts to accomplish its objectives through surveillance, prevention, care activities and policy development. Examples include:

• Availability of public counseling and testing site within 100 miles radius or less anywhere in Kansas
• Availability of anonymous testing at counseling and testing
• Increase in percentage of Kansans infected with HIV (regardless of AIDS diagnosis) receiving primary care, 63% in 2005 compared to 45% in 2003
• Implementation of rapid testing for HIV apart from the conventional tests, which has increased the number of new cases detected

The CDC recommends HIV screening for patients in all health-care settings, for persons at risk (at least annually), and as part of routine prenatal screening tests for pregnant women.

If you or your partner has ever been placed at risk for contracting HIV, it is especially important to get tested. If you or a partner is diagnosed with HIV, ask about services that are available and ways to prevent transmission in the future. HIV testing is available at over 80 sites in Kansas.

Smalls steps taken at a local level can have implications at a global level. Let’s pledge on this day to do our share in the global efforts to stop AIDS. For more information, call 785-296-6174 or visit our website at http://www.kdheks.gov/hiv/counsul_testing.html.

Back to KDHE News Release Index