‘Testing Millions’ campaign in conjunction with World AIDS Day launched by AHF

As part of a groundbreaking global effort to test several million people for HIV in conjunction with this year’s observation of World AIDS Day on Tuesday, December 1^st, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, is spearheading and coordinating the ‘Testing Millions’ campaign. The campaign, which has been organized by AHF in coalition with hundreds of global partners from 52 countries around the world, is mobilizing non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local and national governments, international relief agencies, faith-based organizations and civil society to participate. The goal: a worldwide commitment to conduct millions of free HIV tests during the extended week surrounding World AIDS Day.

Last year, AHF led the successful ‘One Million Tests/World AIDS Day 2008’ campaign which far exceeded its worldwide goal of performing one million tests by testing 1,603,272 people and identifying 61,399 HIV positive individuals.

“We are using a number of streamlined rapid HIV testing strategies which we successfully used in last year’s campaign including group pre-test counseling models coupled with easy referrals and linkage to antiretroviral treatment and follow up care whenever necessary,” said Terri Ford, Senior Director of Global Policy and Advocacy for AHF and Coordinator of the ‘Testing Millions’ campaign, in a statement from Africa where she is taking part AHF’s own ‘Testing Millions’ World AIDS Day efforts. “The commitment and incredible energy of our partners around the globe helped make our 2008 testing campaign an unprecedented success. Our goal last year was to do one million tests—a goal we far surpassed by testing over 1.6 million people, identifying 61,399 HIV positive individuals in the process. This year, working together with our growing list of partners in 52 countries, we plan to double that number and do more than three million tests with the hope that we exceed that goal, much as we did with last year’s campaign.”

“There are currently 33 million people worldwide thought to be living with HIV/AIDS. Of these, only about four million people in the developing world have access to lifesaving antiretroviral AIDS medications,” said Jorge Saavedra, MD, Chief of Global Affairs for AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “The vast majority of the 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide have never been tested for the virus. Our ‘Testing Millions’ campaign seeks to demonstrate that widespread scale up of testing—with linkage to treatment, when needed—can be accomplished with global partners working together.”

“As we kick off our second year with this World AIDS Day HIV testing campaign, our global collaborators are increasingly speaking with a united voice to advocate for easily accessible HIV testing in their communities as well as for greater access to lifesaving antiretroviral treatment worldwide,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “People know that antiretroviral treatment saves lives; treatment also helps prevent further transmission of the virus. Our mantra remains ‘testing and treatment’ around the globe.”

Additional information is available at www.testingmillions.org and www.aidshealth.org