World AIDS Day: What is the situation in Charleroi?

It has been almost 40 years since AIDS first appeared. This has claimed thousands of lives around the world.

In Charleroi, the ASBL IST Charleroi-Mons is actively involved in the fight against AIDS. “We have a specialized and multidisciplinary team that brings together doctors, nurses, psychologists, dieticians, etc. to help the person with the AIDS virus “, details Rudy Gooris, director of ASBL IST Charleroi-Mons.

It is important to remember that this non-profit organization communicates a lot about the fact that a person suffering from the AIDS virus is not dangerous. “A person who has an undetected viral load can no longer transmit HIV even if they have unprotected sex “, He adds. In fact, seropositivity becomes undetectable when the person scrupulously takes his treatment. “The health crisis has had a huge impact on the follow-up of care for people with AIDS. ”

The ASBL IST Charleroi-Mons strongly insists that screening is the cornerstone. And that you shouldn’t be afraid to take the test. This also supports comprehensive screening for other sexually transmitted diseases.

In Charleroi, Marie Curie’s HIV referral center lists between 250 and 300 people affected by this virus. This is the only one in Hainaut. Although this figure is relatively constant. It should be noted that there is still a slight increase in cases in Belgium. The number has gone from 882 cases of people living with HIV in 2018 to 923 in 2019.