Two comments on this World AIDS Day article in the Myanmar Times:
1) Though instant coffee helps to keep people awake, it can hardly be considered nutritional or food supplmentation for people living with HIV. One hopes Mingalar Myanmar will do better for people living with HIV in future.
2) And regarding the second last paragraph, the Red Ribbon has nothing to do with drugs. It is only for HIV. Appropriation is in bad taste.
[him] moderator
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World AIDS Day marked nationally
Nan Tin Htwe
Myanmar Times
December 13 - 19, 2010
“HARD-WORKING heroes” are needed as the world enters its fourth decade living with the HIV/AIDS virus, the UN’s top official in Myanmar told a commemorative ceremony last week.
Mr Bishow Parajuli, the UN’s resident representative and humanitarian coordinator, told participants in a World AIDS Day gathering at the UN compound in Yangon: “In my perspective, we need to work hard in educating people in terms of bringing awareness and also fighting the stigma in our society.
“According to our millennium development goals, we have a global target to reach by 2015 – reversing HIV/AIDS and stopping any new infections.
“We need champions. We need heroes in Myanmar to fight that curse,” he said.
Events were held around the country during the first few days of December to mark the 30th World AIDS Day, bringing together government and UN officials, local and international NGOs, artists and people suffering from the disease.
“We held a national-level ceremony for 400 people in Nay Pyi Taw, together with participants from local and international organisations and representatives of people suffering from the disease,” said Daw Khin Ohnmar San, project manager of the National AIDS Program led by the Department of Health.
“We also donated food and non-food items to patients at the Infectious Diseases Hospitals (Wai Bar Gi) and held ceremonies in other states and divisions,” she said.
Dr Phone Win, director of Mingalar Myanmar, a non-government organisation in Yangon, said they had made donations to sufferers instead of holding a ceremony.
“We donated food like instant coffee, sugar and condensed milk worth K500,000, paid for by donors, to 60 or 70 people with HIV/AIDS. We also offered clothes donated by individuals,” said Dr Phone Win.
Dr Soe Naing, social mobilization officer of UNAIDS, said they support events and ceremonies organised by others. “We provide organisations with posters and T-shirts,” he said.
On December 4 and 5, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and Myanmar Medical Association held an HIV/AIDS Knowledge Fair with the theme “Youth Smarter than AIDS”.
Ko Tun Tun Zaw, a township project assistant for the Youth to Youth Peer Education for Reproductive Health Project, organised by UNFPA together with the Myanmar Red Cross Society, said they intended to involve young people in the group’s actions.
“We go to remote places and share knowledge of HIV/AIDS, as well as educating about condoms. Our main target group is youth, but we also spread the message to others,” said Ko Tun Tun Zaw.
At the UN compound on December 3, UNFPA representative Mr Mohamed Abdel-Ahad read out a message from UN Secretary General Mr Ban Ki-Moon.
“We are making a real difference around the world with the effort of the global community. Fewer people are becoming victims of HIV, millions of people have gained access to HIV treatment. More women are now able to prevent their babies from becoming victims,” he read.
The red ribbon worn by campaigners on December 1 is a symbol for both drug prevention and the fight against AIDS.
In Myanmar, there are approximately 240,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, according to UNAIDS estimates.
http://www.mmtimes.com/2010/news/553/news55304.html
