Since 1988, December 1st has been observed annually worldwide as World AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) Day. The international observance of this day serves to unite efforts in combating the spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV infection) and AIDS in all regions of the world. The main goal of observing World AIDS Day is to bring together countries worldwide in the fight against the problem.
Modern.az reports that, according to Famil Mammadov, Director of the Republican AIDS Control Center of the Ministry of Health, HIV infection is an infectious disease characterized by progressive damage to the immune system.
Four stages are identified in the course of HIV infection. Depending on these stages, various clinical symptoms may appear in individuals infected with HIV. In the initial stage, general malaise, rapid fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and periodic fever are observed. In later stages, other complications appear, such as fungal lesions of the skin and internal organs, tuberculosis-specific symptoms, and malignant tumors.
AIDS, known as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, is the final stage of HIV infection. In this stage, more progressive damage to the immune system is observed in HIV-infected individuals, and numerous complications develop in patients – tuberculosis, central nervous system damage, pathologies in the gastrointestinal system, and malignant tumors.
The director stated that the first person infected with HIV in Azerbaijan was identified in 1987. In total, from 1987 until the end of the third quarter of 2025, 11,260 Azerbaijani citizens living with HIV are officially registered at the Republican AIDS Control Center.
Of these, 70% are men and 30% are women.
“I would particularly like to emphasize that as a result of targeted anti-epidemic and preventive measures implemented among high-risk groups for HIV infection, as well as the general population, Azerbaijan is among the countries with the lowest HIV prevalence rates in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region.
The fight against Human Immunodeficiency Virus holds an important place in our state's healthcare policy, and activities in this area are systematically carried out across several main directions.”
F. Mammadov stated that significant steps have been taken in our country to improve services related to HIV/AIDS. Improving the HIV detection strategy, establishing effective cooperation between the Republican AIDS Control Center (RACC) of the Ministry of Health and public and private medical institutions, organizing educational activities and mass screenings by the RACC among risk groups as well as the general population, and using highly sensitive and specific tests in diagnostics are among the steps taken in this direction.
"In our country, HIV detection is carried out in 10 regional laboratories in accordance with the latest recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), with the aim of ensuring access to examinations for people living in the RACC and in the regions. In addition, HIV testing for risk groups that are more susceptible to HIV infection and relatively closed off from society is conducted at mobile and stationary voluntary testing centers organized by the RACC. Examinations are carried out free of charge, with full adherence to the principles of anonymity and confidentiality. This creates conditions for individuals to undergo testing free from social stigma and fear, and ensures the confidentiality of an HIV diagnosis.
All these measures create the necessary conditions for the timely and early detection of HIV infection and the initiation of effective treatment. As a result, HIV testing is not only a key element of the medical diagnostic and treatment process but also an important social tool for building a healthy and informed society."
The director stated that as a result of regular and properly applied treatment, HIV infection is no longer a fatal disease but has become a manageable chronic illness:
“In our country, ART has been applied to people living with HIV since 2006. The treatment of people living with HIV is successfully carried out and coordinated by the Republican AIDS Control Center of the Ministry of Health. Currently, over ten thousand Azerbaijani citizens living with HIV are under constant supervision and treatment within the antiretroviral therapy program.
The treatment regimens applied in our country are prescribed to people living with HIV free of charge, in accordance with the national protocol based on WHO recommendations, while preserving the principles of anonymity and confidentiality. To ensure access to treatment for citizens living in the regions, ARV drugs are dispensed by regional HIV laboratories.”
