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In an interview with Xinhua Tuesday
in Beijing, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe stressed that the mortality
rate for HIV/AIDS can be reduced through early treatment and other measures.
“Just 10 years ago, no one would
have believed that we could give treatment to poor people,” Sidibe said, noting
progress by the international community. “In some parts of the world, we have
people under the same medicine for years, like in Africa, so we need to make
sure that they can have early access to better medicine.” He also said “the
world is not doing enough to really find the vaccine.”
Last December, Sidibe met with
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, people living with HIV and other stakeholders. The
talks, he said, demonstrated Wen’s personal commitment to the fight against
AIDS. A joint research report released by UNAIDS and China showed that by the
end of 2011, an estimated 780,000 people in China were thought to be living
with HIV/AIDS.
Sidibe also gave a new UNAIDS award
to the president of Xinhua News Agency, Li Congjun, for contributions to the
global campaign on the “three-zeroes” vision set forth by UNAIDS: zero new
infections, zero discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS, and zero
HIV/AIDS-related deaths. Xinhua helped publicize the 2011 World AIDS Day
through its media sources and also sponsored an LED billboard in Manhattan’s
Times Square showing HIV prevention images.
Sidibe said the media can “give the
voice to the voiceless,” tell people know where to get help, and provide ways
to advocate and bring social mobilization.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
