World AIDS Day marked in Moldovan capital

Students from Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy in the Republic of Moldova participated in an event dedicated to World AIDS Day, marked on the third Sunday of May.

Under the theme 'In Their Shoes', participants symbolically walked alongside people living with HIV, covering a distance of 838 meters – one meter for each of the 838 people who chose to start antiretroviral treatment in 2024. At the end of the march, participants outlined the shape of their shoes on the pavement and wrote messages of empathy, encouragement and support.


'Together with UNAIDS Moldova, we are working to ensure our students understand the importance of human rights, equitable access to treatment, and combating the stigma around HIV. Today's event is a lesson of life and humanity,' said Marcel Abraș, Vice-Rector for Clinical Activity Management, university lecturer at Nicolae Testemițanu USMF.


Country Director of UNAIDS Moldova Svetlana Plămădeală emphasized that when a person is living with HIV, they need not judgment but support, treatment, and acceptance, and the belief that they have the right to a dignified life free from discrimination.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Health Angela Paraschiv said that everyone living with HIV should have equal access to diagnosis, treatment, and support so that HIV no longer represents a social condemnation.

Ambassador of Sweden to the Republic of Moldova Katarina Fried noted that the action organized in Chișinău, dedicated to World AIDS Day combines solidarity, education and human rights.

In the Republic of Moldova, over 16,800 people are living with HIV, according to estimates. In 2024 alone, 880 people were diagnosed. Although access to treatment has significantly improved, stigma and fear remain major barriers to testing and treatment.

The event was organized by the Association of Medical Students and Residents in Moldova and Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, with the support of UNAIDS Moldova, in partnership with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova, Toma Ciorbă Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital and the National Public Health Agency.

The event took place within the framework of the UN Common Program Strengthening Human Rights on Both Banks of the Dniester, implemented by the UN, with financial support from the Embassy of Sweden in the Republic of Moldova.