Each year June 27, is observed as National HIV Testing Day. This year also several events were organized across the world to create awareness amongst the people regarding HIV and various STIs. KFF’s Greater Than HIV and Walgreens organized events at more than 550 stores on June 27th for the awareness day

NHTD ensures constant monitoring of the rates of infections and helps one in knowing their HIV status.

This year on the same occasion Neelam Gazarian, PharmD, MS, AAHIVP, Senior Policy Analyst for the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy, attended a free rapid HIV testing event at Walgreens in Washington, DC.

LCDR Neelam Gazarian discusses how engaging pharmacists in testing contributes to a syndemic approach to ending the HIV epidemic. Likely proving its worth by the data provided by Cdc.gov.in Progress in its prevention continues with estimated HIV infections declining 12% overall in 2022 compared with 2018, driven by a decrease (30%) among people aged 13 to 24.

She also encouraged people to reach out to nearby local Pharmacists regarding any doubts or queries related to HIV, Syphilis, or, other STIs, etc.

“About 9 out of 10 Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy, so when you turn around the corner, you walk a little bit, there might be a pharmacy there, “Go in, talk to your pharmacist,” said LCDR Neelam Gazarain.

In a conversation with the director, LCDR Neelam discussed how Pharmacists play an important role in NHTD. She said how pharmacists like her and other partners conduct free rapid syphilis tests, Hepatitis C tests, etc. to keep a check on rising rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) across the U.S.

She also mentioned how pharmacists deal with a syndemic and holistic approach to make it feasible to access all the services to tackle such an epidemic in one place.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Tushar Pandey/MSM)