Marbella has renewed its partnership with local charity Avance Positivo to strengthen HIV prevention and sexual health awareness across the Costa del Sol.
The agreement, worth €25,040, will fund education campaigns aimed primarily at young people, while continuing to provide support for people living with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as their families.
Avance Positivo runs educational workshops in schools to help students understand how to protect themselves against HIV and other STIs.
The charity’s president, Jose Luis Prada, warned that cases of sexually transmitted infections have been rising in recent years, making prevention and education more important than ever.
Free HIV and STI testing
The organisation also operates the Costa del Sol’s only dedicated free testing service for HIV, hepatitis C, syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections.
The service aims to encourage early diagnosis, allowing patients to access treatment and medical follow-up as quickly as possible.
Alongside testing, Avance Positivo provides psychological support and social assistance for people living with HIV, as well as vulnerable patients referred by the public healthcare system.
Family members are also offered guidance and support throughout the process.
Six years of support
Marbella mayor Angeles Muñoz praised the work of the charity’s staff and volunteers, noting that while HIV is no longer as deadly as it once was, it continues to affect many people.
Speaking alongside San Pedro deputy mayor Javier Garcia, she stressed the importance of continuing to educate young people about safe sex and ways to reduce the risk of infection.
Prada thanked Marbella Town Hall for its continued backing, saying the organisation has received municipal funding for the past six years and that it remains its main source of financial support.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
