Third meeting of Fast-Track Cities takes place in Lisbon
Several representatives of cities and regions that joined the initiative Fast-Track Cities they have been meeting in Lisbon since the 20th of October. Dr. José Zuniga and Dr. Gonçalo Lobo talk about the purpose of the initiative and some fruits of the work developed.
The third annual conference Fast-Track Cities 2021 is taking place at the Lisbon International Fair (FIL), Parque das Nações, until October 22 by the hand of International AIDS Care Providers Association (IAPAC), in collaboration with the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and Fast-Track Cities Institute.
The President and CEO of IAPAC and do Fast-Track Cities Institute, Dr. José Zuniga, in an interview with News Farma, said that more than 350 cities have already joined this international initiative and highlighted the purpose: to work to end the urban HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) epidemics and eliminate the hepatitis virus B (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) by 2030. “Participants will return to their cities and implement the best practices and innovation shared here.”
Dr. Gonçalo Lobo, Vice President for Regional Relations of Fast-Track Cities, in an interview with News Farma, mentioned that, in 2018, Portugal already had 10 participating cities or regions and, last year, the autonomous region of Madeira joined this initiative.
According to Dr. Gonçalo Lobo, there are several benefits, from the outset, “we realized that we were able to work in a network”, through “common and transversal objectives, despite adapting to local realities”. He highlighted the “fruits of this work”, focusing on the city of Lisbon as “a great example for reaching 98% of people living with HIV already diagnosed”.
According to the vice president for Regional Relations of Fast-Track Cities, there is a lot to highlight from the work developed in Portugal within the scope of this initiative. “We have excellent intervention programs in communities with associations such as the GAT or Ares do Pinhal”, he said and emphasized the recognition of the GAT’s activity by IAPAC.