Recent achievements in the prevention and education department:
Educational workshops for
newly sexually active youth and youth-at-risk, including a personal
story of a person living with HIV. The workshops have been extensively
praise by everyone who has participated in them for the last 20 years.
Centers for rapid and anonymous
HIV testing, which includes consultation prior to the test and upon
receiving the results. The IATF is the pioneer in use of rapid HIV tests
in Israel.
A HOT LINE for questions from
the general public, which operates every evening, as well as managing
internet forums.
Prevention in the Ethiopian
community, a new project that was launched 2006 for prevention activities
among Ethiopian youth.
BELA DOEGET, A prevention
project for the gay community.
Harm reduction project for
I.V. drug users: replacing needles and accessories, rapid HIV tests,
consultation towards recovery. In collaboration with the Israel Anti-Drug
Authority.
Recent
achievements in the support department:
Providing support for newly
diagnosed people during the difficult crisis of adjusting to their new
status.
Social support for PWHIV:
guided support groups, an annual PWHIV conference, diverse social activities
to alleviate the loneliness of those living alone with the secret of
their HIV status.
Battling to remove the stigma
associated with AIDS.
Advocacy directed at the government
authorities and the health care system.
Submitting pleas to the Supreme
Court regarding fundamental issues such as the right to bring children.
Handling complains of discrimination
and problems in receiving adequate medical care.
Newsletter of medical updates.
Distributing lifesaving medication
to uninsured migrant workers.
Promoting the issues of registering
and including new AIDS medications in the list of government-subsidized
drugs.
The Israel AIDS Task
Force received the "President Award for Voluntary Action"
for the year 2006, for its continuous work for the last 20 years since
its establishment.
Things to be taken
into account, analysing our importance:
Educating the general public,
instilling habits of responsible sexual behaviour. This can save the
lives of future generations and affects all our children.
Education and information
save the country money. The treatment of an AIDS carrier over a normal
lifetime can cost around one million dollars in medicine, treatments
and days spent in hospital.
This is a critical subject
deals with the saving of both lives and souls.
It is vital to disperse the
myths and stigmas surrounding AIDS in order to lessen fear of the disease,
and the publication of responsible, accurate and up-to-date information
is an essential weapon.
The AIDS virus attacks indiscriminately:
men, women, children and the IATF serves all populations without discrimination
based on religion, national origin, race, colour, or sex.
