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Governor Togiola Tulafono has declared Dec. 1 as World AIDS Day in the territory. HIV/AIDS has claimed the lives of six local people since the program opened its doors in American Samoa in 1988. Free confidential testing is available in Fagaalu from Mondays-Fridays on a walk-in basis. |
Governor Togiola declares Dec. 1 as
World AIDS Day in the territory
Governor Togiola Tulafono has joined the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS and has declared December 1, 2007 as World AIDS Day in American Samoa - a day to expand and strengthen the worldwide effort to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.
With that, the Governor urges all citizens “to take part in prevention activities and observances designed to increase awareness and understanding of HIV/AIDS as a global challenge, and to join the global effort to prevent the further spread of HIV/AIDS.”
A special Mass that was held at the Alao Catholic Church yesterday stressed the importance of keeping HIV/AIDS out of the territory, with the speakers repeating the same old adage of “better safe than sorry.”
The church service was well attended by government officials, members of the Fono, ministers from different villages and religious denominations, health care professionals, the management and staff of ANZ Amerika Samoa Bank, and other supporters of the HIV/AIDS program.
Department of Health director Utoofili Asofaafetai Maga spoke in place of Governor Togiola who was unable to attend the church service. According to Utoofili, since the HIV/AIDS program opened its doors in the territory 19 years ago in 1988, a total of six Samoans were confirmed to have the disease and all have since passed away.
Utoofili said that all six people were diagnosed from off island and had traveled to the territory to spend their last days with family members and friends.
“HIV is the virus that causes AIDS, which is a disease that has no cure,” Utoofili explained, adding that over the past few years, pills and shots have been discovered to slow down the progression of AIDS but a cure is yet to be found.
The road leading to AIDS consists of different stages and because there is no known cure, Utoofili says that the best way to stay safe is to heed the advice of medical experts and stay away from participating in activities where AIDS can be contacted.
“Once AIDS becomes common and starts spreading here in the territory, that’s it!” said Utoofili. He added that the territory has the lowest recorded cases of HIV/AIDS compared to other neighboring Pacific islands and nations.
“This is something we should be very thankful for,” he said. “There are times when it will be hard to resist temptation and urges that we encounter but we need to love ourselves, love our families, and do what we can to keep this deadly disease out of the territory.”
Utoofili thanked the local HIV/AIDS program manager Fara Utu and her staff, as well as the employees of the Department of Health who have been active in spearheading efforts to educate and inform the public about AIDS and its effects.
“We as a community need to work together to combat this disease because we are a small island. Once we start seeing an increase in the number of AIDS cases, we will be in trouble,” Utoofili concluded.
In his proclamation, Governor Togiola noted that the global spread of HIV infection and AIDS necessitates a worldwide effort to increase communication and action to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.
According to estimates, at the end of 2006, the number of people living with HIV was 39.5 million worldwide. An estimated 4.3 million became newly infected with HIV and 2.9 million people have lost their lives to AIDS.
Togiola said, “The American Samoa Government, in conjunction with the American Association for World Health, is encouraging a better understanding of the challenge of HIV/AIDS nationally as it recognizes that the number of people diagnosed with HIV and AIDS in the United States continues to increase.”
World AIDS Day provides an opportunity to focus local, national, and international attention on HIV infection and AIDS to disseminate information on how to prevent the spread of HIV.
The Governor proclaimed that World AIDS Day 2007 theme: Take the Lead: Prevent AIDS, highlights the need for innovation, vision, and perseverance in the face of the AIDS challenge. The campaign calls on all sectors of society such as families, communities, and civil society organizations – rather than just governments - to take the initiative and provide leadership on AIDS.
Recently, the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), issued a notice of grant award for $51,979 to the local Department of Health’s HIV/AIDS program.
The grant is from the Title II program, meaning that the money is intended for use on the care and treatment of individuals with HIV/AIDS.
Everyone is urged to come in and take a free confidential AIDS test which is conducted on a walk-in basis from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Results of the test are only known to Utu and one other person from her staff who is a certified health educator. Results cannot be given over the phone.
This year alone, over 1,320 local residents have been tested for HIV/AIDS. “This number is just a percentage of the population which is about 65,000,” Utu said, adding that testing isn’t the only service they provide, as they can also provide medications, as well as care and treatment for individuals who test positive.
More information on the HIV/AIDS program can be obtained by calling Utu and her staff at 633-2437 or visiting their office in Fagaalu.
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