For an official publication, the New Light of Myanmar sure makes a lot of mistakes ...

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PERSPECTIVES - Fight AIDS collectively and treat AIDS patients kindly

AIDS is the disease that is spreading all over the world today. It has claimed millions of lives and affected the social and economic life of the people. Therefore, the world nations are raising the momentum of their fight against the disease.

Although anti-HIV/AIDS campaigns are being carried out carefully and systematically all over the world, the lives of women and children are in grave danger posed by the pandemic. AIDS is the main cause for the death of women of child-bearing age.

Myanmar regards AIDS as a disease that is very likely to endanger public health and is fighting it as a national movement. In 1989, Anti-AIDS Central Committee was formed and its work programmes were implemented. Beginning 2000, prevention of HIV virus transmission from mother to child was initiated.

As a project for fighting AIDS and venereal disease, educative talks and accurate diagnosis and effective treatment are being given on a wider
scale. Moreover, systematic measures are being taken in 325 townships to ensure safe blood transfusion.

Myanmar is accelerating the momentum of its fight against AIDS in cooperation with WHO and other UN organizations. It is learnt that HIV virus transmission rate in the nation has been reduced to 0.61 per cent in 2009 from 0.94 per cent in 2000.

AIDS affects not only the health of people but also their social and economic development. Therefore, it is necessary for the entire people to take an active part in anti-AIDS measures and, at the same time, to treat the AIDS patients kindly without any discrimination and stigma.

THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR Thursday, 3 December, 2009