RIYADH/JEDDAH, 2 December 2005 — The Kingdom joined the member nations of the World Health Organization (WHO) in observing the World AIDS Day yesterday. The overall message of this year’s regional World AIDS Campaign’s theme and slogan matches the direction of the global campaign’s theme, which stresses on the importance of taking responsibility in the fight against AIDS and accountability.
The Regional Campaign Theme and Slogan: “HIV/AIDS: Stand up for the challenge. It’s everyone’s responsibility.”
The Ministry of Health has instructed all its health centers in different regions to observe the day in an effective manner throughout the next seven days since the day falls during the weekend. The general director of the various regions throughout the country have chalked out their own programs to suit the needs of their respective areas. The minister of health is slated to issue a statement today to the nation on the significance of the global event.
A march to raise awareness on AIDS by various representatives from the public and private medical sector will take place today afternoon at the Jeddah corniche. The march will be launched by Jeddah director of health affairs, Dr. Abdul Rahman Khayyat, taking off from the Holiday Inn and proceeding south.
This year there is a focus on educating schoolchildren and the young about the disease. “Starting Saturday and for two weeks, doctors in cooperation with the school health unit will be visiting 12 intermediate and high schools — public and private — everyday to raise awareness about AIDS,” said Dr. Sana Filimban, director of King Saud Hospital and AIDS awareness program. The doctors will distribute a questionnaire to 10,000 students to gauge their knowledge about the disease in order for the awareness team to design a program that will better inform them. Students will also be invited to participate in an art exhibition. On Dec. 13, an event will be held at the Hilton Hotel by medical professionals for the public, and the student’s artwork will be displayed there. There will also be an awareness program at sports arenas.
Dr Hussein A. Gezairy, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said the HIV epidemic is slowly and steadily advancing in the Region. He pointed out that most countries have initiated voluntary and confidential counseling and testing services, and have legislation to regulate the safety of blood and its products.
“We treat AIDS as a serious health problem in the country and were making every effort for its prevention and control ,” the Deputy Minister of Health For Preventive Medicine, Dr. Yacoub Al Mazrou said.
“In addition to the Immune Diseases Clinics in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, the ministry of health is making arrangements to open another clinic in Jizan,” a senior official who is in charge of the AIDS program in the ministry said.
According to reports, around 1,800 Saudis have been afflicted with AIDS during the past two decades and one third of them died due to the illness. There have been 6,000 cases of AIDS patients among the expatriates since 1986.
Tomorrow, King Faisal Specialist Hospital (KFSH) will hold the Second Annual AIDS workshop with more than 350 participants. On Sunday, the General Director of the Riyadh Health Region, Dr. Abdul Aziz ibn Muhsin Al-Dhukair will inaugurate a day’s symposium on prevention of AIDS at the Al Amal Psychiatric Complex in Riyadh. An exhibition will also be opened in the morning to run concurrently with the symposium.
