“National HIV/AIDS Testing Day” Campaign is Launched
June 12, 2007

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Under the slogan “Take the test,” the “National HIV/AIDS Testing Day” promotional
campaign was launched this morning as a joint effort by the Ministry of Health (MOH)
and the National Commission Against AIDS El Salvador (CONASIDA, in Spanish), with
technical and financial assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID). 

The U.S. government’s support for this campaign amounts to $300,000 and is being
channeled through USAID HIV/AIDS Program, which is providing $1,600,000 to fight
the pandemic disease in El Salvador.

The United States identified the need of establishing the U.S. National HIV/AIDS Testing Day, choosing June 27.  The U.S. also requested in the United Nations that all countries adhere to this initiative.  El Salvador President Elias Antonio Saca responded positively and adopted June 27 as the El Salvador’s National HIV/AIDS Testing Day, when any person could receive free voluntary counseling, testing and confidential results for HIV/AIDS in any MOH health facility or mobile units.

The fight against HIV/AIDS is one of the U.S. government’s top priorities.  The goal of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Emergency Plan/PEPFAR) is to support antiretroviral treatment (ART) for two million HIV-infected individuals, prevention of 7 million infections, and care for 10 million people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, including orphans and vulnerable children.