“We are proud that, for the first time, in a public social structure, our primary clinic in Kypseli, Chania Street, is testing a rapid AIDS test,” said Mayor of Athens, Giorgos Kaminis, during a press conference at the Athens Mayoral Hall, where the actions of the municipality of Athens to eradicate HIV as a fast track city were presented in view of December 1, World AIDS Day.
Mr. Kaminis said that “in 2014 he signed the” Fast Track for the eradication of the AIDS epidemic “and pledged to activate municipal offices as the most appropriate points for conducting diagnostic tests and preventive actions. “In 2017, I signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the AHF (AIDS Healthcare Foundation), the largest international nonprofit organization providing global HIV prevention services, virus diagnosis and medical care for patients,” said Kaminis, on the basis of this Memorandum, we apply the rapidtest, innovative model of rapid, anonymous and free HIV testing to the municipality for the first time in our country’s medical structure. In other words, we introduced an innovative method of diagnosing HIV in a municipal practice that was already in operation with P social innovation “.
The rapid test takes place every Monday and Thursday 10: 00-15: 00, without appointment, takes just one minute and is carried out by qualified staff of the Institute of Social Preventive Medicine (ICSD). In the case of a positive result, immediate referral is made to a specialized medical state structure. The AHF also includes the free distribution of condoms and information brochures and the recently launched information campaign, courtesy of STAY on the screens of the Athens Metro (Metro, ISAP, Tram).
The provision of this life-saving preventive service has been implemented for 10 months at the Multipurpose Municipal Clinic of Chania Street, the reference point of the Kipseli neighborhood for the provision of medical and social services in a decentralized and holistic manner.
HIV testing for the HIV virus was made by the swimming poolmaker Antonis Tsapatakis and the actor Alexandros Bourdoumis. Both, along with actor Pygmalion Dakadakaridis and fashion designer Makis Tselios, were informed about the awareness campaign, highlighting the importance of HIV prevention and screening.
The Head of the European Program of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Marianna Fotiadou, thanked the municipality of Athens for its contribution to the virus awareness campaign, already measuring 30,000 condoms that have been distributed through municipalities’ structures and services. He also stressed that the data on virus diagnoses “are important because they demonstrate that we need innovative ways of screening, given the intensity of the stigma surrounding both HIV in general and around screening in particular.”
Positive Voice Speaker Nikos Dedes highlighted the importance of checkpoints, working with AHF as “Virus Prevention Kernels” in optimal dignity, managing their joint program to settle about 30% of young people diagnosis in 2017. It has been noted that so far there have been 100,000 free HIV and hepatitis B and C tests with the significant contribution of some 300 volunteers.
Regarding the method used to draw up a National Strategic Action Plan on HIV / AIDS in Greece, the coordinator of the Working Group and Professor of Biostatistics & Epidemiology at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Giota Touloumi, referred to the emphasis on informing adolescents and the sensitization of vulnerable groups. The objective is a dynamic model of interconnection of competent bodies to keep track of those who need it, as well as the development of digital tools and a committee of lawyers to propose changes to the framework for social despising
Giannis Tountas, Professor of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Athens, Director of the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine and the Center for Health Services Studies of the Medical School of Athens, underlined the pioneering effort to develop innovative and modern multipurpose municipal clinics in Patisia and Kypseli urban health centers. He pointed out that at the heart of this vanguard is the prevention, which is neglected in our country, with the problem being even more acute in the case of HIV. ”
The President of the Hellenic Society for the Study and Treatment of AIDS, Marios Lazanas, stressed the importance of informing and raising public awareness, early diagnosis, therapeutic coverage and support, but especially of anti-demyelination. It is crucial to realize that HIV is all about us, with cases of discrimination against HIV positive people leading to our country’s European Court of Justice. “Live your life positively and try to learn your immune status.”
Deputy Mayor of Social Solidarity, Welfare and Equality Maria Stratigakis summed up the discussion that “the social services of the municipality of Athens have a duty and a mission to work to multiply the rapidtest exam in upgraded multipurpose municipal practices and develop awareness campaigns for the general public to prevent from the virus using condoms, as well as actions of social deprivation of HIV carriers. Let this event be an opportunity to make Athens a faster track city to prevent.