His Excellency the Assistant Deputy Minister of Health for Preventive Medicine, Dr. Ziad Memish, has inaugurated the World Health Day at Prince Sultan Grand Hall of Al-Faisaliah Hotel, on 6/1/1433H (1/12/2011). The inauguration was attended by the representative of the UN Regional Office, Dr. Al-Tayyeb who tackled the regional and international epidemiological situation of AIDS. It followed that the, Mrs. Jumana Hermes, Representative of the WHO Regional Office, shed light on the slogan of this year's AIDS Global Campaign. She also came across the nature of stigma and discrimination usually practiced against AIDS patients.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Hermes underscored the right of AIDS patients to receive the proper healthcare, hinting at what they suffer from in all over the world; namely stigma, discrimination and deprivation of rights.
For her part, Dr. Sana' Flimban, Supervisor-General of the MOH's Program to Combat AIDS, has explained the nature of the AIDS prevalence in Saudi Arabia in the course of the past ten years, pointing out that the AIDS cases detected during the past two years have witnessed a remarkable decline, compared to the its global prevalence. She explained that this decline is owing to the methods and programs adopted by the Ministry of Health in monitoring and combating AIDS, with a view to diminishing the possibility of transmission from patients to healthy persons, in addition to educating the society in a way that helps its members protect themselves against the HIV/AIDS infection.
Dr. Flimban, moreover, commended the Ministry's keen interest in spreading out of its movable and immovable centers, meant to reach the most susceptible groups to HIV/AIDS, provide advice and guidance on the nature of the disease, and how it is transmitted, as well as how to address the disease when the infection occurs, and how to modify the erroneous behaviors conducted in the society, in addition to following the effective prevention methods.
The Assistant Deputy Minister for Preventative Medicine, Dr. Ziad Memish said, there is a wide range of proceedings at both the international and regional levels continually aiming to assess the medical situation, the extent of the disease, and the application of advanced methods and scientific programs based on evidence, within the framework of the national strategy for preventing the spread of infection, such as adding the HIV test to Pregnancy Tests List; thus becoming one of the least affected countries by AIDS.
The campaign consists of several lectures on the effective ways to reduce the risk of HIV transmission during pregnancy and the way to diminish the risk of HIV transmission through sexual contact.
During the campaign Dr. Sami Hussain Al-Najjar, consultant, Vice President of Pediatric Department, and Chief of Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, has presented a working paper entitled: "Green Initiative" on the protection of the fetus from the transmission of infection during pregnancy. The "Green Initiative" is based on four basic rules, including preemptory detection of the HIV infection in pregnant woman and inform her of the ways that help protect her fetus, maintaining the right for women with AIDS to choose their reproductive choices, as well as helping these women with AIDS and their families and supporting them financially and morally, in addition to unifying methods of follow-up throughout the Kingdom.