#ehpv #estonia #hiv #aids #community #plwhiv #tallinn #health #Mental #support
EHPV Estonian HIV-Positive Network presents: All people living with HIV should have access to treatment and the necessary support services should be available to them.
World AIDS day 2021 —
END INEQUALITIES. END AIDS. END PANDEMICS, END COVID
40 years have already passed since the moment when AIDS first appearead on our planet and 20 years since the moment of the beginning of concentrated HIV epidemic in Estonia. Inspite of possesing the needed knowledge and tools, HIV is still the serious global threat for the humanity. We are missing the target to beat AIDS by the year 2030. We found ourselves not ready enough for the conditions of the new reality connected with the emergence of dangerous virus COVID 19, – and all these things are happening together with social-economic crisis and chaotic and unlinked actions for preventing the after-effect.
On the 1st of December, which is the World AIDS day, our network of people living with HIV in Estonia joins the UN call to point the mutual efforts for the purpose of ending inequalities and providing the equal possibilities for all the people inspite of their gender, race, nationality and level of income to get the needed support.
In our opinion we have to mobilize the join efforts to exterminate AIDS and COVID by means of fighting the economic, social, cultural and legal inequality. We need changes in political, economic and social spheres to protect vulnerable, especially marginalized social groups, – all those who cannot protect themselves, those who suffer because of the conditions of pandemics and find themselves in hard life circumstances.
We are people living with HIV, we know how to end AIDS, we know what is inequality, – the main reason preventing pandemics from being ended.
It is necessary to join the efforts to fight inequality, poverty, lack of the needed knowledge, and to maintain the general strategy to prevent the spread of pandemics nowadays and in the future:
financing and investment in the medical sphere, gender related development activities, good salaries for workers of the vital services, equal access to vitally needed medications, technologies and sources of information which may detect inequality.
World AIDS day was first announced by WHO in 1988 and since then we have achieved much. HIV infection has become chronical disease instead of the mortal one. People living with HIV who get needed ARV treatment in time and who follow all medical prescriptions are able to live long and happy life. There is no medication to stop AIDS, but it is possible to stop it from further development. Nowadays like never before we would like to mobilize all our efforts for ending stigma, discrimination, human rights violation and to convey the idea that we are all vulnerable. We need open dialogue, equal access to all existing types of prevention, help of specialists and support of community network.
Join us on the 1st of December to express your solidarity with people living with HIV and to remember those who died of AIDS and COVID-19.
TALLINN
1st of December 2021
Lighting the candles in the form of Red Ribbon to commemorate people who died of AIDS
Time and location: 12:00, in front of the Superministry building, Suur-Ameerika 1
NARVA
1st of December 2021
Lighting the candles in the form of Red Ribbon to commemorate people who died of AIDS
Time and location: 12:00, Peetri plats
JÕHVI
1st of December 2021
Lighting the candles in the form of Red Ribbon to commemorate people who died of AIDS
Time and location: 12:00, Central square
CONTACTS
Tallinn
Latšin Alijev, +372 5870 6070- russian language
Vassili Skripkin, +372 5678 7838 ; Kadi Viljak, +372 510 0504 – estonian language
Viktoria Pressman, +372 58477979 – english language
Narva
Jekaterina Smirnova, +372 5557 8131
Jõhvi
Natalja Slobožaninova, +372 5616 7097
Latšin Alijev
Director
E-mail: latsin.alijev@ehpv.ee
Mob (+372) 5870 6070
Rävala puiestee 8-1014, 10143 Tallinn
Catch up on testing!
For HIV, viral hepatitis and STIs
Register and join Autumn European Testing Week 2021 22-29 November
Why participate in European Testing Week (ETW) this year? More than ever, ETW can help us refocus our attention to HIV, viral hepatitis and STI priorities in our countries and regions.
The COVID-19 pandemic and measures to control it have shifted staff, funding and resources away from other healthcare essentials. In October 2020, UNAIDS reported “
hile some countries have rebounded to pre- COVID-19 testing levels, in other countries, testing remains low.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has also demonstrated the ability of communities, governments and international bodies to take extraordinary measures to tackle infectious diseases. Let’s build on this in our work to increase testing.
It’s time to catch up on testing and regain focus on HIV, viral hepatitis and STI priorities.
Significant gaps remain in diagnosis of all these infections which can undermine international strategies to end HIV, viral hepatitis and STI as public health threats by 2030. Testing, especially in the context of combination prevention, is an essential health service, especially for marginalised and stigmatised populations such as sex workers, people who use drugs, migrants, people in prison, trans people and men who have sex with men, all of whom are often most at risk and most in need of targeted services.
decreases in HIV testing services in nearly all countries with available data”. Country level
significant
surveys report similar trends across Europe. W
ETW calls for
➢ Integrated testing
➢ Self-testing + self-sampling (for some infections where self-testing is not available) ➢ Testing in the framework of Combination Prevention
This year, ETW will launch simultaneously with International Testing Week, which is promoted by Coalition PLUS, with the participation of organizations around the globe.
We are all part of the solution!
Let ETW’s network and resources be part of your solution!
We recognise how difficult it has been to adapt services during the COVID-19 pandemic. During ETW in 2020 and Spring 2021, our webinars and online videos highlighted a number of innovations developed by you including telemedicine, online services, self- testing, open air testing, integrated testing, among many others. We encourage you to continue these great efforts.
In times of limited resources and heightened competition between priority areas, integrated testing for HIV, HBV/HCV and STIs can be a way to improve early diagnosis for all these infections with limited investment, as they share modes of transmission and overlaps in affected groups and high levels of co-infection. As highlighted in the HepHIV 2021 Conference, some of the things that can done to increase testing and improve early diagnosis are:
➢ Investigate opportunities to include HIV, viral hepatitis, STI and TB testing within SARS-CoV-2 testing programmes in high prevalence areas, settings or populations (e.g. emergency/intensive care units, prisons, homeless shelters etc.).
➢ Engage the general public in the discussion and response to infectious diseases, leveraging the opportunities opened by COVID-19 to communicate with the general public on these subjects;
➢ Ensure that messaging is positive, clear and consistent, originates from trustworthy sources, is relevant to the target groups, and includes a focus on the role of inequalities in controlling infectious diseases.
➢ Work to remove criminalising laws and policies and legal barriers to testing interventions, including barriers to lay-provider testing, testing at home and partner notification by taking advantage of the change in how health service delivery has been changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please register and join ETW, 22-29 November 2021!
Usu ja looda! Sulliwan Erki Pehk. Kaire Vilgats.Kayha Burns(USA) XXI Sajandi Orkester
These days, filled with genuine, nothing undisguised grief from the loss of loved ones, friends of comrades-in-arms, you are acutely aware that it is impossible to get used to this … I understand that there will be a lot of grief … the rest of my life “, as it was said in some movie … the rest …
In our society, it is customary to avoid topics related to losses and, as a rule, people are left alone with trouble .. At the same time, I am grateful who responded and did not pass us by … Low bow to all of you.
Today, let there be bright sadness with us, these are memories filled with light, hope and faith in the future … we must live on! As they say, times are not chosen, we had to live in different eras that made us cry and laugh, and also think about life, death and love. In the morning, I unexpectedly received greetings in the form of this disc, which was released by the ECUO EHPV back in 2008 …
Thank you for reminding us of the existence of our long-standing international ART project. But we have our own song “Believe and Hope!”, Which took place thanks to our joint work. Much time has passed, but in my heart and soul there is Faith and Hope that we can still definitely see each other together.
You can apply for the job offer here: https://www.cvkeskus.ee/projekti-koordinaator-tallinnas-eesti-hiv-positiivsien-vorgustik-mtu-736142?
To enlarge the image, press on the image. Thank you for your attention!
| Entry regulations | Residence regulations | Additional information | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No HIV testing is required for short-term tourist stays (up to three months). An HIV test is required for a multiple entry visa. | A negative HIV test result is required for long-term stays (more than three months), for students and for foreign employees. | Foreign residents found to be HIV positive are expelled.
Important: The entry bar, short-term stay restrictions and deportations apply to students, multiple entry and work visas only. |
A negative HIV test result is required for stays of more than three months.
(Source: 1)
If you are planning to remain in Russia for more than three months, you must provide a medical certificate of a negative test for HIV. The certificate must be valid for three months from the date of testing and include:
Other tests (such as for tuberculosis and leprosy) may be required for individuals staying in Russia for more than three months.
(Source: 2)
Some HIV/AIDS entry restrictions exist for visitors to and foreign residents of Russia. Applicants for longer-term tourist and work visas or residence permits are required to undergo an HIV/AIDS test. The Russian Government may also ask these applicants to undergo tests for tuberculosis and leprosy. Travellers who believe that they may be subject to these requirements should verify this information with the Embassy of the Russian Federation.
(Source: 3)
For stays exceeding three months, or a multi-entry visa, an HIV test is required.
(Source: 4)
A person with depression needs your support and confirmation more than ever
This is a food for thought to say to support your friend.
This Friday, September 10, is International Suicide Prevention Day. Learn more about how you can participate and contribute:
peaasi.ee/olenolemas
#mental health #measure
People living with HIV should not be afraid of getting the COVID-19 vaccine and should rather discuss any concerns they may have with a medical practitioner, instead of relying on fake news.
The COVID-19 vaccine does not interfere with antiretroviral medication or cause adverse side effects people living with HIV, provided a person’s immune system is intact, meaning that they are not suffering from any other ailments or infections.
This is according to Dr Lerato Masemola, a general practitioner based in Johannesburg.
“Taking the vaccine while experiencing any symptoms of flu or illness may result in a more severe illness due to an already activated immune response to the current undiagnosed infection,” she said.
However, she added that it is important to avoid becoming overly anxious about the vaccine, especially based on fake news that is being proliferated by some people.
“Being concerned about vaccines is understandable, but panic states can mimic chest pains and shortness of breath, which can also be side effects post-vaccination.”
Masemola advised people who were unsure about getting vaccinated due to their concerns about their immune systems to seek further medical advice from their healthcare providers.
According to a report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the COVID-19 vaccine holds the same benefits for people who are living with HIV, as they do for all individuals and communities – the prevention of severe illness and potentially reduced transmission of the virus.
“Advocacy is needed so that no one is left behind and so that the national vaccination programs do not exclude people from key populations who may have limited access to health services. Based on recent data, people living with HIV, regardless of their CD4 count, appear to be at an increased risk of severe outcomes and death due to COVID-19 compared to other people.”
The UNAIDS report shows how COVID-19 lockdowns and other restrictions have disrupted HIV testing and in many countries this has led to steep drops in HIV diagnoses, referrals to care services and HIV treatment initiations. – Health-e News
The Estonian Network of People Living with HIV (www.ehpv.ee), on the eve of International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day, which is traditionally celebrated on the third Sunday of May, addressesresidents of Estonia, the government and municipalities of cities.
We all live through difficult times. We know that COVID-19 is a serious disease that has affected the country. Experience gained from the HIV epidemic can also be used to combat COVID-19.
We urge you to pay attention to people affected by COVID-19 who need our support. As it was with AIDS response, governments must work with communities to find solutions on local level.
Government, ministries, municipalities, and the population itself must respect the rights and dignity of people affected by COVID-19. Key populations should not bear the brunt of stigma and discrimination as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Forty years of fighting the HIV epidemic is an experience based on human rights and community orientation, which are key points in the fight against any epidemic. Building trust between affected communities, government, and the health system is also needed to effectively and quickly respond to the rapid spread of the pandemic.
We can say that viruses have captured our consciousness and our lives, but not the virus itself is important, but its consequences – stigma and discrimination. When the people infected by such “viruses”, it becomes important for us: what is your skin color, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, the presence of a disease, etc. At the same time, the deeper the virus penetrates our consciousness, the more it forces to manifest: bias, injustice, violence. As a result, stigmatized person is left alone with his problem.
International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day, is one of the oldest and largest mobilization campaigns in the world to raise public awareness of HIV and AIDS in the world, serves as an important means of global solidarity, breaking down barriers of stigma and discrimination and giving hope to new generations.
The HIV epidemiological situation in Estonia continues to be difficult. The persistent high incidence of HIV infection, the steady growth rate of new infections, the increase in the total number of HIV-infected people, the “growing up” of the infection and its activation in the general population due to the increase in sexual transmission are real today. Over the years in Estonia, 10265 people were diagnosed with HIV, including 567 people with AIDS.
Modern medicine have allowed HIV infection to pass from the category of fatal to chronic. Having started treatment with antiretroviral drugs in time, and following all the doctor’s instructions, people living with HIV live a long and full life. There is no cure for AIDS, but there is an opportunity to slow down its development. As Estonia has access to antiretroviral therapy, HIV / AIDS must be seen as a disease, not a death sentence. But even now, death from AIDS arises due to the fact that an HIV-positive person is not able to receive specialized medical services and antiretroviral treatment on time.
Our common vision is zero new HIV cases, zero discrimination against people living with HIV and zero AIDS-related deaths, but this requires investment, open and honest dialogue about it between the government and society. When we recognize the scale of the effects of viruses on our lives, we will seek to minimize the risk of contracting them.
On the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day, we want to recall one more time that the human right to health is the basic right of every person. And no one has the right to deprive it! We wish, as never before, to mobilize all our efforts to eradicate stigma and discrimination, violation of human rights and bring a clear understanding that we are all vulnerable.
We hope that the COVID-19 pandemic, since the HIV epidemic did not quite cope with this at the time, will change the attitude generally to any problems in society related with viruses. It is very important to support those who are trying to confront these problems, regardless of the situation, age, gender, etc. It has long been clear to the PLHIV community that viruses do not forgive a frivolous attitude towards them. We hope that on this day this awareness will come to you.
Join us to light a candle for memory of people who died from AIDS and COVID-19.
1. Light a memorial candle on the terrace, balcony, garden or wherever it is comfortable for you
2. Remember and pray for relatives, friends, acquaintances who have died of AIDS or COVID-19
3. Share your memory and photos with us on social networks and do not forget to tag us #ehpv or @ EHPV – Estonian HIV-Positive Network.
Info:
+372 5870 6070 (in Russian)
+372 5100504 (in Estonian)
+372 57816023 (in English)
ehpv@ehpv.ee
“We Remember. We Take Action. We Live Beyond HIV!”
We are excited to share with you the details of the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial 2021, which will be held on Sunday May 16, 2021
The Memorial was started in 1983 by people living with HIV, to remember the lives lost to AIDS and to honour those who dedicated their lives to helping people living with and affected by HIV.
The Estonian Network PLWHIV over the years has continued to coordinate the efforts to make the day memorable and continue to mobilise our communities in solidarity in Estonia.
We are excited to share with you the recently updated International AIDS Candlelight Memorial website where we have information on global and local eventswith our perennial theme “We Remember. We Take Action. We Live Beyond HIV!”
https://www.candlelightmemorial.net/
Given the safety measures adopted by in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, like in the previous year Estonian Network PLWHIV encourages everyone to mark the day individually or virtually.
A more active role on social media will be necessary though to make this year’s commemoration a meaningful one.
