Chembio, AIDS Healthcare Foundation to test 1 million people for HIV

NEW YORK Chembio Diagnostics and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation are marking World AIDS Day 2008 in a global effort to test 1 million people for HIV, Chembio announced Monday.

For the campaign, which started Wednesday and ends Monday, Chembio has provided about 20,000 of its HIV 1/2 Stat-Pak tests to testing programs in three countries.

According to UNAIDS, there were 33.2 million people living with HIV worldwide last year, a 14 percent increase from 2001.

“We are proud to support AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the World AIDS Day 2008 One Million Tests Campaign by providing access to rapid HIV testing,” Chembio president and chief executive officer Lawrence Siebert said in astatement. “Being tested and knowing one’s HIV status is the critical first step in obtaining treatment and preventing further transmission of disease.”