"AIDS does not sleep!" Campaign

1 December is the World AIDS Day, which aims to attract the global awareness about HIV and demonstrate the international solidarity in the face of the pandemic.

Students - activists of students’ trade union committee of Educational Establishment "Vitebsk State Order of Peoples' Friendship Medical University" did not remain aloofness from this urgent problem, and organized in cooperation with the Department of Educational Work the "AIDS does not sleep!" campaign in order to inform the students of the university about the HIV/AIDS epidemiology in the world and the Republic of Belarus, as well as about the infection transmission and the principles of its prevention.

Students of different courses, faculties, foreign students and academic staff and personnel of the university were able to take part in this event, which once again confirmed the interest of physicians in this issue. HIV is a serious problem for the world population, and no matter how old or what sex you are, what position or profession you are engaged – this disease concerns everyone and should be solved and fought only together.

We were pleasantly surprised by the interest our students showed to the ongoing campaign: many expressed their opinions about the threat of HIV, they joined in talks to discuss issues of concern, and junior students did not hesitate to ask questions of their senior colleagues.

During this campaign, a film dedicated to problems of HIV was shown to the students of the Pharmaceutical Faculty, which revealed the lives of HIV patients and the risks of infection, etc.

This event was an important phase to prevent HIV problems. We are confident that these measures will help future doctors and employees to protect their lives and the lives of their future patients of this terrible disease.

Poddubny Y.A., a member of student primary trade union organization of "Vitebsk State Medical University."