Every year on the third Sunday in May, the world remembers people who have died from AIDS. Over the past decades, significant progress has been made in the fight against HIV infection. HIV infection in the modern world is not a death sentence, but has become a chronic manageable condition.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of scientists, doctors, community organizations and people living with HIV themselves, results have become clear that give hope for achieving the ambitious goal announced in 2016 at the UN General Assembly to end AIDS by 2030.

The key guideline on this path is the “95-95-95” strategy.

In Belarus, in pursuance of this strategy, the following indicators have been achieved (data as of January 2026):

96.3% (26,005 people) of the estimated number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) are aware of their diagnosis;

94.3% (23,267 people) of those aware of their diagnosis receive antiretroviral therapy (ART);

92.3% (21,483 people) of PLHIV taking ART have a suppressed viral load.

Achieving this goal is not just numbers: behind them are people who will live fully and be able to fully realize their potential.

Today, more than 26 thousand people with positive HIV status live in Belarus. Since 2018, antiretroviral therapy (ART) in our country has been provided to all patients free of charge; now more than 23 thousand people take this treatment long-term and successfully. The number of deaths among HIV-positive patients over the past decade has decreased by one and a half times due to the availability of treatment and prevention.

As of April 1, 2026, more than 1.5 thousand people live in the Vitebsk region with HIV-positive status, of which more than 1.2 thousand are taking therapy.

Timely detection of infection and initiation of treatment is the first and important step to maintaining a full life for a person with HIV-positive status.

HIV testing is the only way to find out if a person has HIV infection. An accessible tool for taking care of your own health is self-testing using rapid tests. In 2025, the share of sexual transmission of HIV was about 90%.

Significant progress in prevention is being facilitated by new, highly effective methods such as pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis, which allow people, especially those at high risk of infection, to reduce the risk of infection to a minimum.

Reliable information about modern advances in prevention, modes of transmission, the importance of testing and methods of protection contribute to the formation of an adequate understanding of HIV infection and reduce stigma towards people living with this disease, helping to create a favorable environment for open dialogue and the willingness of people to seek help.

The first International Day of Remembrance for People Who Died of AIDS, at the initiative of the World Health Organization, was held in 1983 in the American city of San Francisco. This day still remains a symbol of international solidarity and an opportunity to reflect on the path traveled, evaluate the successes achieved and outline the prospects for effective prevention of HIV infection.

Remembering people who died of AIDS is the need to see a person as a person, and not a diagnosis. This is a call for stigma to give way to understanding and fear to support. Respect for memory is respect for the right of every person to health and dignity without fear or judgment.

As part of the International Day of Remembrance of People Who Died of AIDS, events will be held in open city areas, institutions and organizations in all regions of Belarus.

In the Vitebsk region, mass events will also be held everywhere, campaigns to attract people to HIV testing, information campaigns in institutions, enterprises, and city sites with the participation of departments of executive committees, hygiene and epidemiology centers, health care institutions and public organizations. Funeral services will be held in churches.

We invite all interested and caring people to join in organizing and holding events dedicated to the International Day of Remembrance of People Who Died of AIDS.

.

• Центр-Гигиены