Persons that died of AIDS remembered on May 17

Moldova marks the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day on May 17 together with more than 30 countries. Different activities to promote a healthy lifestyle, prevention measures, measures to treat and support the HIV-infected persons are carried out in Moldova in partnership with the civil society, Info-Prim Neo reports. Documentary films about HIV/AIDS made in Moldova and the neighboring countries will be shown in a number of education institutions and organizations during two weeks. This film festival is organized by the Representative Office of AIDS Foundation East-West in Moldova. On May 17, the League of the Persons Living with HIV in Moldova will stage an action dedicated to the persons that died of AIDS in the Cathedral Park and in the Stephan the Great Public Garden in central Chisinau. The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day occurs on the third Sunday in May every year. The day commemorates the over 25 million persons that died of AIDS worldwide and aims to sensitize the people to the danger of HIV/SIDA that can affect everyone and lead to millions of deaths of not controlled. It also aims to support the 32.5 million people living with HIV. The number of persons that take intravenous drugs among HIV-infected persons has decreased in Moldova during the last four years, but the number of persons infected through sexual intercourse has increased. The HIV virus affects mostly able-bodied young persons of reproductive age. As many as 795 new cases of HIV/AIDS were discovered in Moldova last year. 343 cases out of these were reported in Transnistria. 170 persons died of AIDS in Moldova overall. 715 HIV-infected persons benefit from free antiretroviral treatment.