Sandoz supports HIV/AIDS awareness and increased access to treatment for this major global public health issue [1]
December 01, 2014 - According to the World Health Organization (WHO) [2], Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV/AIDS) has caused the deaths of millions of people and is one of the most destructive pandemics in history. World AIDS Day, celebrated annually on December 1st, was established by the WHO in 1988 to raise awareness of the virus, which is preventable and treatable.
HIV attacks the body's immune system, the body's defense against diseases. HIV can be passed on through infected bodily fluids, most commonly via sex without a condom or by sharing infected needles, syringes or other injecting drug equipment.
According to the WHO, there were approximately 35 million people living with HIV in 2013 and of those, 2.1 million were newly infected that year. In 2013, 1.5 million people died of the virus.
Sandoz is committed to increasing global patient access to high-quality, affordable medicines and has a portfolio of HIV products to help improve patient access to these important treatments.
Hexal (Sandoz Germany) is also engaged in HIV awareness-raising and in 2014 participated in a benefit run for the Munich AIDS Service Organization.
For more information about World AIDS Day, go to: http://www.who.int/hiv/en/ [3]