Health Department Marks World AIDS Day with Ceremony on STX, Free Testing on STT

The V.I. Health Department will hold a ceremony on St. Croix and offer free HIV testing on St. Thomas on Friday to mark the 35th observance of World AIDS Day and to show solidarity with the global community’s commitment to end the HIV epidemic by 2030.

This day serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing global struggle against HIV-related stigma, honoring those lost, and a call to action to strive for a future where HIV is no longer a public health threat, the department said in a press release.

Jason Henry, director of the department’s Communicable Diseases Division, emphasized the overarching theme, “340 Getting to Zero,” as a rallying cry for both public health professionals and the community to steadfastly work towards ending the HIV epidemic by 2030.

“Our annual day of remembrance is an opportunity to address HIV-related stigma, pay tribute to those we have lost, and galvanize efforts to achieve a day when HIV is no longer a public health threat,” Henry said.

The Communicable Diseases Division is dedicated to achieving the 90-90-90 targets: ensuring 90 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 90 percent of those aware of their HIV-positive status receive treatment, and 90 percent of individuals on treatment achieve viral suppression, the release stated.

“While progress has been made in addressing HIV and AIDS in the Virgin Islands, there is still work to be done to ensure equity for all,” said Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion. “The Communicable Disease Division is committed to providing comprehensive care, ensuring everyone in the Territory with HIV/AIDS has access to treatment, leading to an undetectable viral load and making HIV un-transmittable.”