Every year on the 1st of December celebrated the World AIDS Day. For now AIDS is not one of the top ten causes of mortality anymore. According to the World Health Organization, in 2005, 1.1 million people died because of it, compared with 1.5 million in 2000. In 2017, around 940,000 people died worldwide due to HIV-related causes. Still, about 37 million people on the planet live with HIV: 1.8 million people have got HIV in 2017.

The most affected region is Africa - in 2017 there were 25.7 million people living with HIV. Nearly two-thirds of the total number of new cases of HIV infection is on this continent.

According to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, there are currently around 244 thousand Ukrainians living with HIV in our country.

To find the testing point closest to you, download a document. You can see the addresses, telephones, and time of the testing sites by following: http://bit.ly/2SeSn8f.

Take care of yourself and be healthy!

Eliot Pearlman, Colonel of the US Army (retired), Director of the NGO "International Institute of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis" was awarded with a gratitude of the Preventive Medicine Service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Acknowledgment was given for the significant contribution to the development of the Preventive Medicine Service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, public activity and dedication aimed at preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis among military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as for sacrifice and love for Ukraine.

From 23 till 30 of November is continue the European Testing Week

The European Testing Week is an international campaign that encourages partner organisations—in community, health care and policy institutions-- throughout Europe to unite for one week to increase testing efforts and promote awareness on the benefits of earlier hepatitis and HIV testing. This initiative has progressed since its start in 2013 and has grown to be a widely recognised international event with hundreds of organisations participating every year. Each organisation volunteers their own time to organise their Testing Week activities and create incredible displays of a united effort to increase testing awareness at all organisational levels.

The Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine also joined the event and invited Ukrainians to test for HIV and hepatitis.

Where to test?

People can testing all over Ukraine. To find the testing point closest to you, download a full-length document. You can see the addresses, telephones, and time of the testing sites by following: http://bit.ly/2SeSn8f.

What do you need to go through the testing?

Testing is free, confidential, and painless, with the help of express tests. All that is needed is a drop of blood and 15 minutes of time.

Why you should test?

In Ukraine, every second person with HIV does not know about his status. In the early stages, HIV has no symptoms. The sooner you learn about HIV, the sooner you start treatment.

Testing is a concern for yourself and your loved ones. Take care of your own health, test for HIV!

The European Week of HIV testing and hepatitis is a pan-European information campaign that calls for a week to intensify communication on the benefits of early detection of HIV and hepatitis.

The main objective of the European Week of Testing is to make more people aware of their HIV status and hepatitis and minimize the problem of late diagnosis of these infections.

"Thanksgiving is our national holiday. Earlier on this day, people were grateful for the harvest and for the whole year. In our days, every year on the fourth Thursday of November, we celebrate Thanksgiving Dae and express our gratitude to God and to all who share our life with us.

On this bright day I wish that this holiday gathered all your relatives and loved ones so that each one of them heard words of sincere gratitude and support. That along with you always been loyal friends and loving relatives who always have something for what you can say " Thank you".

I wish you and your families peace, kindness and love"- Dr. Med. Eliot J. Pearlman, Director of the International Institute for HIV / AIDS and Tuberculosis.