The modern plague today is HIV/Aids. Millions of people around the world are dying as a result of this deadly virus. 1 December is the United Nations’ universal day dedicated to Aids, World Aids Day (WAD). In 1988, the General Assembly expressed its deep concerns about the pandemic proportions of Aids. Today, some 40 million people are living with the HIV/Aids virus.

HIV/Aids must be the biggest headache in scientific and health sectors in the present day. The European Union, the United Nations and the World Health Organisation are all doing their best to raise awareness.

A particular focus of EU action has been, and continues to be, to address the prevention challenges set by vulnerable groups like migrant populations, sex workers, and young people. For example, the Commission is currently supporting action to identify best practice in HIV/Aids prevention and sex education.

The European Union and its neighbouring countries now face the threat of a “new epidemic”. Parts of Europe have the fastest rate of new HIV/Aids cases in the world. Latest figures released recently by UNAids confirmed that the numbers of new infections are increasing throughout the 25 EU member states and in its east European neighbours. The transmission pattern is also changing. While sexually-transmitted infections remain predominant in some parts of the European Continent, many of the rapid rises in infection levels are due to intravenous drug users.

With an estimate of 2.44 million Europeans living with HIV/Aids, the WHO Europe office issued treatment and care protocols for HIV/Aids for the region.

A list of 13 procedures, each with a specific focus provide guidelines for a better service for people suffering from HIV/Aids. Estonia, the Russian Federation and Ukraine have the highest HIV/Aids prevalence in the region, with the latter two countries home to about 90 per cent of all the people with HIV/Aids in eastern Europe. According to Aids Epidemic Update December 2006, using non-sterile injecting equipment remains the predominant risk factor in the Russian Federation’s epidemic.

Malta, like any other country in the world, is doing its best to

create awareness and prevent the disease spreading further. The Ministry of Health gives people the opportunity to book a counselling session with a discreet and professional advisor on matters relating to sexual and reproductive health. Regardless of age or sexuality, the advisor will listen to the person’s concerns and provide him or her with personalised professional advice to ensure they will be able to lead a healthy sexual and reproductive life.

The GU clinic is the clinic where people may have tests regarding sexually-transmitted diseases. In this clinic confidentiality is guaranteed. The samples taken during examination are only marked by a code number and no names are used.

Quoting from the UN Secretary-General’s message for World Aids Day: “Accountability requires every President and Prime Minister, every parliamentarian and politician, to decide and declare ‘Aids stops with me’. It requires them to strengthen protection for all vulnerable groups, whether people living with HIV, young people, everybody must be protected. It requires them to work in unity with civil society groups, who are so vital to the fight. It requires them to work for real, positive change that will give more power and confidence to women and girls, and transform relations between women and men at all

levels of society.”

The most efficient weapon against HIV/Aids is education. The general public must be educated in the ways and means of preventing this illness. Only knowledge can erase the doubts that may lead to discrimination against and the seclusion of HIV/Aids patients.

The Personal and Social Development programme within the National Minimum Curriculum must be empowered, because our children can only benefit from this form of education. This subject is the only one that tackles and makes our children aware of sexually-transmitted diseases, which is important for the prevention of HIV/Aids.

The needed for education is empirical since it is the most efficient way of preventing the spread of this modern plague. This year’s theme for the campaign was Stop Aids keep the promise, so let us keep our promise, educate our children and say “stop” to Aids.

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David Casa is a Nationalist MEP