Bari is officially one of the Fast Track Cities and it is ready to launch free screening activities at the Proximity Socio-Health Center. The Municipality of the Apulian capital has appointed Doctors with Africa CUAMM Bari as initiative coordinator, in collaboration with the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the Bari Polyclinic. Funded by the Municipality of Bari’s Welfare Department, the project aims to guide the most vulnerable segments of the population toward local psycho-social and healthcare services and to offer screenings for Hepatitis B, C, and HIV. A total of 200 screenings are planned to be offered from the present time to May. The first sessions will take place on February 18 and 25 at the Proximity Socio-Health Center on Via David.
The Fast-Track Cities initiative is a global partnership between cities and municipalities around the world and four core partners – the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the City of Paris.
The initiative aims to accelerate the response to HIV in urban areas, in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
How? By strengthening testing and early diagnosis services, improving access to antiretroviral treatments—especially for the most disadvantaged groups who are far from traditional healthcare pathways—and fostering collaboration between hospitals, clinics, and local organizations. The challenge is to achieve the “95-95-95” target: 95% of people with HIV diagnosed, 95% on treatment, and 95% with viral suppression. At the same time, it seeks to reduce new HIV infections and related deaths while eliminating stigma and discrimination.
Many cities have joined the initiative. In Europe, besides Paris, cities such as London, Berlin, Barcelona, and Lisbon have also signed up. In Italy, cities like Milan, Florence, Bologna, Turin, Ancona, and Cremona are among those participating.
