World AIDS Day celebrated in the Maldives

Press Release via UNDP Maldives

01-Dec-2010

Speech by the UNDP Resident Representative on World AIDS Day 1st December 2010, SHE Building.

Executive Committee Members, Executive Management team and Staff of Society for Health Education
Government officials
Distinguished Invitees
Colleagues from the UN system

Assalaam Alaikum and good morning.

It gives me great pleasure to open the Voluntary Counselling Testing Centre for the expatriate community in the Maldives.

For the first time in the country, this venture is opening the avenue for the expatriate community to access a service of this kind and I would like to congratulate the Society for Health Education and the National AIDS Programme for jointly working towards this initiative.

The opening of this Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre, goes hand in hand with the theme of this year’s World AIDS Day, 'Universal Access and Human Rights', which reminds us of the critical importance of both in effective responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

World AIDS Day is about paying respect. Respect to the 1.8 million people who have died of AIDS. Respect to the 33.3 million people living with HIV. Respect to the more than 5 million who lack access to lifesaving treatment. Respect for those who suffer stigma and discrimination because they live with HIV.

But it is also a day to celebrate, because around the world, we see evidence that people are living positively with HIV. As treatment improves and battles against stigma and discrimination are won, people living with HIV are able to regain their roles as active, productive members of their community, as healthy parents and children, and as champions for the AIDS movement.

The Maldives has a low prevalence of HIV. This does not mean the country is without risk. There are several vulnerability factors related to HIV such as migration, including internal migration, coupled with an active young population. HIV prevention interventions are needed for these populations along with current target groups.

The Voluntary Counselling Testing Centre, therefore comes at an opportune time. This is about the rights of a group of people. The protection of human rights is fundamental to combating the global HIV and AIDS epidemic. By promoting individual human rights, new infections can be prevented and people living with HIV can live free from discrimination.

Global leaders have pledged to work towards universal access to HIV and AIDS and treatment, prevention and care and recognize these as fundamental human rights. Valuable progress has been made in increasing access to HIV and AIDS services, yet greater commitment is needed around the world if the goal of universal access is to be achieved.

Millions of people continue to be infected with HIV every year. In low- and middle-income countries, less than half of those in need of antiretroviral therapy are receiving it, and too many do not have access to adequate care services.

As UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said in her message on World AIDS Day, “timely access to HIV-related treatment demonstrably extends lives.”

Today we are witnessing a good first step in this process in the Maldives. On behalf of the UN, I would like to thank the Government of Maldives and the National AIDS Programme, for granting us the opportunity to work with you towards addressing and reducing the risk of HIV and AIDS in the Maldives.

HIV and Substance Abuse is one of the key areas that the UN will continue to support in the next 5 years. As we move forward with an effective response to HIV programming in the country, and look for innovative ways to support people to advocate for and access the services they need, I cannot stress enough on the important role of the partners, including civil society, in this process.

In conclusion, let what we do today be a foundation to write the history of AIDS in the country. From today, we should reject all excuses for failure and bond together in a wedge of tolerance, to achieve our goal and reaffirm our commitment to services which are universally accessible and based on a human rights approach.

Posted in: Health / HIV