Information and more on province-wide HIV testing and prevention centers

December 1 is World AIDS Day, so this is an opportunity to develop clear policies to promote counseling, testing and different prevention strategies.

To commemorate World AIDS Day today, December 1, a number of related activities will be carried out across the province to promote and raise people’s awareness of prevention, testing and treatment.

Meanwhile, the province’s Ministry of Health is stepping up efforts to decentralize testing and create new spaces for HIV/AIDS counseling and prevention through the provincial HIV/AIDS, STI and viral hepatitis program.

Also today, the first HIV Information Bulletin is released, which updates provincial data and strengthens commitment to the topic.

Neuquen currently has ten joint prevention and testing centers spread across the province. In this regard, Health Minister Andrea Peve noted that “the expansion of community services has been one of the biggest goals we have set for ourselves since the 2019-2023 health plan. In 2022, on the same day, two centers were opened in the city of Neuquén , we plan to add more centers in the city and expand into other health areas.”

He added: “We are very proud of the work carried out by the HIV project and that these centers are no longer just for testing but have transformed and offer a comprehensive approach in the region.”

Comprehensive HIV prevention is a set of rights-supported strategies designed to address the specific needs of individuals and communities to prevent HIV infection, with a particular focus on those considered vulnerable.

Regarding the new Comprehensive Prevention Centres, Luciana Moya, representative of the Provincial HIV/AIDS Programme, said, “The fundamental aim of these centers is to reduce the number of new infections through activities that have a lasting impact on access, awareness and promotion and prevention, from Priorities in Primary Health Care” and details its addition to HIV and syphilis testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PReP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is the use of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in people who are not infected with HIV to reduce the chance of infection. Meanwhile, HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a prevention strategy initiated within 72 hours of the risk of transmitting the infection through the use of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) and is performed only in emergency situations.

Since 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the implementation of PrEP delivery programs as part of a comprehensive prevention strategy, with special attention to key populations and other high-risk groups. The strategy is implemented in Argentina from August 2022 and is delivered by the National HIV Response Agency.

Where to Find Joint Prevention Centers

The United Prevention Center provides a space each week for spontaneous needs.In the city of Neuquén, these supplies (Cepat) are distributed every Thursday at the Castro Rendón Hospital from 12 noon to 2 pm; every Tuesday at the San Lorenzo Norte Health Center from 9 to 11:30; every Tuesday from 10 am to 12 noon :30 at the Villa María Health Center; every Monday at the Valentina Norte Health Center from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon; every Thursday at the Confluencia Health Center from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and p.m. 1 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Parque Industrial Health Center

Services are also available in the interior of the province: every Wednesday from 12 noon to 4 p.m. at the Arenales Health Center in San Martin de los Andes; every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the San Martin de los Andes Hospital ; Every Thursday from 2 pm to 4 pm at Cutral Co and Plaza Huincul Hospital in Cutral Co-Plaza Huincul Hospital; In Zapala, every Thursday from 3 pm to 6 pm at Zapala Hospital.

In addition, HIV diagnostic studies can be requested free of charge, voluntarily and confidentially at all laboratories in public hospitals across the province year-round without an appointment or doctor’s order. Condoms are also remembered as an effective way to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as syphilis and unwanted pregnancy.

About Provincial Plans and Gazettes

Since 2022, the Provincial HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Viral Hepatitis Program of the Provincial Directorate of Primary Health Care, in collaboration with the Directorate of Epidemiology, has produced a newsletter containing the latest data on the HIV situation in the region.

The last provincial report was published in 2015, so the new document represents an update of this information and an ongoing commitment to the issue.

The bulletin provides a detailed introduction to the situation in our province and is a basic technical and analytical tool for decision-making, aiming to optimize diagnostic opportunities, improve the quality of life of people living with HIV in our province, and promote the formulation of health policies from a comprehensive perspective. method.

The advisory is available on the Provincial Ministry of Health website, in the Provincial HIV, STI and Viral Hepatitis Program section, and on the HIV and STI section of the Sexual and Reproductive Health section.

The availability of data and the multiplication of spaces for access to diagnosis and prevention reflect policies and actions implemented by the province that are aligned with UNAIDS’ national and global strategy known as 95-95-95: 95 % of people living with HIV know their serological status, 95% of them are on antiretroviral therapy, and 95% of those on treatment achieve viral suppression.

Some provincial data

– As of November 2023, 3,051 cases of HIV infection have been reported in the province since the first registration in 1986.

-No cases of vertical transmission have been recorded since 2019. The contribution of the implementation of the “Emergency Mother-to-Child Transmission+” strategy to safeguarding maternal and child health and preventing HIV transmission from pregnant women to their unborn babies was emphasized.

– 964 people are currently being monitored in the public system.

– More than 98% of infections occur through unprotected sex.