Fifth edition of the communication, prevention and promotion campaign for HIV testing #let’s do it all, and from this year the attention is also focused on all sexually transmitted infections, from syphilis to HCV and Delta Hepatitis.
Yesterday, in the hall on the fifth floor of the Puglia Region Health Department (via Gentile), a press conference was held to present the 2024 #facciamolotutti communication campaign, organized by Sanitanova with the unconditional contribution of Gilead and the patronage of Simit (Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases), the University of Foggia and the Local Health Authorities of Foggia, Bat, Bari, Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto.
The campaign will be active throughout the summer and aims to attract the attention of a wide audience but above all to spread simple and targeted information among young people through “information pills” that will be distributed on the social channels #facciamolotutti, the portal Faccialotutti.it and the social pages of the ASL of Puglia. The communication campaign is signed by Nick Definition and was created with the scientific contribution of the professor Sergio Lo Caputo (Infectious Diseases University of Foggia), by the professor Teresa Antonia Saracen (Infectious Diseases Polyclinic of Bari) and the professor Annalisa Santantonio (Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Foggia Polyclinic) and Professor Massimo Galli (Infectious Diseases – University of Milan).
Does HIV still exist? How do I protect myself? What is Delta hepatitis? How is it contracted? What are sexually transmitted diseases? What is syphilis?: these are just some of the questions that experts answer with clear and immediate messages with the aim of providing certain answers, giving concrete indications and supporting prevention activities.
In fact, HIV and sexually transmitted infections still exist and the numbers are still too high: in Italy there are 1800-2000 new cases of HIV per year, 5 new cases per day. In Puglia there are 150 cases per year. While throughout the national territory there are 500-600 cases per year of primary (localized to the genitals) and secondary (systemic) syphilis while there are still 400 cases of latent syphilis. «It is clear that we have a great need to continue providing information, communication and prevention – he said Sergio LoCaputoscientific director of the initiative since 2020 – our attention must focus on young people, on the segments of the population that have risky attitudes. We must be immediate, always remembering that throughout the region it is possible to take the HIV test free of charge and anonymously. The Infectious Disease Centers, the analysis laboratories are available and are important points of reference».
«For the 2024 edition we have created 20 informative pills of approximately one minute each which we will disseminate through social channels – he continued Nick Definition, creator of the campaign – our goal is to answer the questions that everyone asks and which above all come from the world of young people. The contents were created with the scientific representatives of the project who are also the direct protagonists: they answer a specific question and are also subtitled to facilitate understanding. We hope and hope for important and widespread sharing.”
Today’s press conference was also attended by institutional representatives who underlined the importance of collaboration between all the subjects involved and who can support education initiatives in the area.
«The Regional Agency for Health and Social Care has always supported the communication campaign #let’s do it all – underlined Doctor Hector Attolini which brought greetings from the Director of the Agency Giovanni Migliore – on HIV and sexually transmitted infections we have the duty to be clear, to talk about numbers, to explain how to carry out prevention and to be active with the reference centres. This campaign, which started in 2020 and developed with different experiences, aims to go viral with a tool, that of short videos, which today reach a very large audience.”
«The Puglia Region is committed to implementing all prevention plans with a one health perspective – he said For Albano, Puglia Region Health Department – the national prevention objectives have been set out in a regional prevention plan and in a prevention communication plan. We are investing in communication and information, we are doing so with messages spread across the entire territory and targeted. The next step will be to support prevention activities also through careful and widespread training activities, always in collaboration and cooperation with all the subjects involved”.
The press conference was also attended by Dr. Gemma Saccomanni, Senior Director Gilead: «Our commitment to fighting infectious diseases has distinguished us since our origins: today HIV infection is no longer a fatal disease but a chronic pathology. However, we have an even more challenging goal regarding prevention, we must prevent new infections».
Attention to prevention also characterizes the activity carried out by Sanitanova which organized the communication campaign: «We are happy to continue to support initiatives that aim to increase the level of knowledge and awareness – declared Antonio MessinaCEO Sanitanova – we feel part of a prevention activity that involves different subjects with a single aim, that of reducing the number of HIV infections and sexually transmitted diseases».
The associations active in the Big Film Fest area also participated in the press conference, Cama Lila, NPS Puglia, ANLAIDS Onlus Nazionale, ALA Onlus, ASA Onlus, CIG Arcigay
