Leading in AIDS incidence, Porto Alegre promotes actions this Thursday.

On the 21 - Without the impact and repercussions of its arrival in Brazil in the 1980s, AIDS continues to be a disease with as great a capacity for propagation today as it was when it first appeared in the country. The difference is that currently the epidemic is not treated with as much emphasis and visibility regarding the risks of contamination, nor is there the same level of investment in prevention campaigns. Mobilization efforts against the disease are usually limited to World AIDS Day, December 1st, and Carnival. Therefore, this Thursday, there will be several prevention activities, mainly in Porto Alegre.

Silently, the epidemic continues to spread in the state and country, although some regions show a downward trend or stability in the numbers. The latest data from the Ministry of Health, released this week, indicates 634.051 cases of AIDS in Brazil between 2000 and June 2016. According to the Ministry of Health's figures, the Southern Region registered a slight downward trend of 7,4%, going from 30,1 cases per 100 inhabitants in 2006 to 27,9 in 2015. Rio Grande do Sul reported 11.888 cases of HIV between 2007 and June 2015. The number of AIDS cases detected in the state between 2000 and June 2016 reached 70.243.

The data also indicates that Porto Alegre continues to be the capital city with the highest incidence rates of AIDS in Brazil over the last 10 years, corresponding to an average of 95,20 cases per 100 inhabitants from 2005 to 2015. However, in the last five years, there has been a downward trend in the numbers, especially in 2015, according to the Municipal Health Department. Last year, 74,21 cases per 100 inhabitants were recorded, and in 2014, the average rate was 90,9 cases, corresponding to the same proportion of inhabitants.

From 2000 to June 2016, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul registered 28.947 cases. Of that number, 96,3% were detected in adults and 3,7% in children under 13 years old. Porto Alegre, which had its first diagnosed case of AIDS in 1983, also holds the title of capital with the highest mortality rate, equivalent to 23,7 deaths per 100 inhabitants. The average in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul is four times the national average; however, the epidemiological report from the Ministry of Health points to a downward trend in the last ten years.

Prevention actions

To reverse such negative and worrying statistics, the Porto Alegre City Hall is carrying out several actions this Thursday to mark World AIDS Day. The Municipal Health Department will install a structure in Praça da Alfândega. The multimedia environment aims to explore visual, auditory, and tactile sensations and senses, encouraging people to think about situations of greater risk for the HIV virus. At the same time, the space will give visitors the opportunity to learn about different forms of prevention. In addition, the initiative, which has the theme "Caring and being cared for," aims to encourage the population to be more supportive of people who have HIV or the disease, reducing prejudice and stigma.

“Caring means using various prevention strategies, such as protection during sexual relations using condoms, regular testing, and starting treatment as early as possible in case of a positive result. In particular, it means showing solidarity with people living with HIV/AIDS,” explains Simone Ávila, Manager of Public Health Care Policies – Transmissible Diseases. “Prejudice and discrimination cause people with the virus to not want treatment, to feel ashamed, and to be excluded. With this year's campaign, we want to encourage care in the sense of solidarity and respect that they deserve,” she adds.

The structure will remain in the square until December 6th, except for Sundays, and will operate from 11 am to 14 pm and from 17 pm to 20 pm, Monday to Friday. On Saturdays, the space, organized by the Municipal Health Department, will be open from 11 am to 15 pm. Also this Thursday, the offer of rapid HIV tests will be intensified at the Modelo health units in the Glória, Cruzeiro and Cristal regions and at Chácara da Fumaça. At the Psychosocial Care Center for Alcohol and Drugs in Partenon and Lomba do Pinheiro and at the Restinga Extremo-Sul Hospital, there will also be consultations with infectious disease specialists.

To further mark the actions of World AIDS Day in Porto Alegre, the mobile unit of the “Fique Sabendo Jovem” project will travel through four regions of the Capital, providing HIV tests to the public, aged 15 to 29. On Saturday (3), the vehicle will be at the Lomba do Pinheiro health unit, from 8:30 am to 17 pm. On Sunday (4), the service will be at Parque Farroupilha (Redenção), in front of the Monument to the Expeditionary, from 16 pm to 20 pm. On the 7th and 10th, it will be the turn of the Restinga and Bom Jesus neighborhoods to receive the mobile unit, respectively.

Aid to Gapa

Known for its work supporting patients with HIV and AIDS, the AIDS Prevention Support Group (GAPA-RS) is now in need of help. With 28 years of work combating the epidemic and providing support to the AIDS population, the oldest NGO in Rio Grande do Sul is threatened with closure. Its current headquarters are dilapidated, and the property owner intends to renovate the building and, consequently, reclaim it.

Therefore, this Thursday, the Rede Minha Porto Alegre (My Porto Alegre Network) is launching the "Viva o GAPA" (Long Live GAPA) campaign, aiming to find a new headquarters. Currently, two thousand people seek the NGO's help each month for free psychological and legal assistance, as well as information about HIV. On December 10th, the Viva o GAPA street festival (https://www.facebook.com/events/1823771584504737/) will take place, featuring musical performances, food trucks, and awareness activities. A stage will be set up in Cidade Baixa and will host, among other attractions, Latin Grammy winner Ian Ramil, and the bands Império da Lã and Tribo Brasil. T-shirts and mugs will be sold at the event, with all profits going to GAPA. More information about the festival and the campaign can be obtained by email. soso@minhaportoalegre.org.br.