In accordance with directives from His Excellency the Minister
of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and in line with recommendations
from the Scientific Supervision and Evaluation Authority, a workshop titled
"HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Risk among Youth: Preventive
Measures and Spread Control" was organized under the Patronage of Prof.
Dr. Abdul Karim Hussein Ismail, Dean of Al-Mamoon University College. This
event held by Assurance, Quality and University Performance Division, in collaboration
with the Directorate of Karkh Health and the National Center for AIDS Control.
The workshop convened heads of scientific departments,
department coordinators, faculty members, and students. Various topics were
discussed, with particular emphasis on the gravity of HIV/AIDS. The symposium
chair highlighted that HIV/AIDS presents a significant global public health
challenge, having claimed the lives of 40.4 million people [32.9-51.3 million
people] to date, and the infection remains a persistent global concern.
Moreover, some countries have reported an increase in new infections, despite
previous declines.
Estimates
indicate that by the end of 2022, the global population living with HIV reached
39.0 million, with approximately two-thirds (25.6 million) residing in the
African region. In the same year, HIV-related deaths totaled 630,000, while 1.3
million individuals were newly infected with the virus. Although a definitive
cure for HIV remains elusive, the increasing availability of effective prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment methods, including the management of opportunistic
infections, has transformed HIV into a manageable chronic health condition.
This advancement enables individuals living with HIV to lead long and healthy
lives.