AIMING to banish the taboos surrounding the HIV/AIDS virus and wanting to force the public to take responsibility for its part in the social isolation and prejudice faced by HIV/AIDS carriers, the Red Cross Youth branch yesterday announced the start of its awareness campaign in the run up to World AIDS Day on December 1.
“The message of this year’s campaign is ‘Do you know…!’,” Red Cross president and First Lady Fotini Papadopoulou said.
Papadopoulou said that despite the alarming HIV/AIDS statistics there was another moral and personal aspect of the problem to consider.
“Do we know that the virus is not transmissible through a simple hug and handshake? Do we know that these people have the right to live among us, have the right to equal opportunities and humane treatment? Do we know that the HIV/AIDS virus concerns us all?”
The Red Cross president said people should not only remember HIV/AIDS sufferers once a year, but every day.
“Every day should be World AIDS Day,” she said.
Papadopoulou called for an end to prejudice and misinformation, and said the problem had to be met head on so that today’s youth could be protected. She also called for an end to the isolation and rejection of sufferers who were often denied basic needs such as education, the right nutrition, social services, and the required care.
“In Cyprus, although the problem exists, its extent is limited. However, the severity of the problem does not allow for us to be unvigilant, the co-ordination and co-operation of all competent authorities is needed, including the Health Ministry, the Social Welfare Services, organisations, each and every citizen, parent, and young person,” she said.
The campaign, which is in collaboration with the Health Ministry, the Youth Organisation, the Family Planning Association and Can Innovative Solutions advertising agency, will involve the distribution of 13,000 condoms, ribbons and information pamphlets with the monthly magazine Cosmopolitan. Five thousand magazines will also be sold with specially designed T-shirts for the campaign, Red Cross Youth branch representative Odysseas Constantinides said.
Additionally, 2,000 T-shirts will be sold from December 1 in all towns at Areeba stores, the Frederick Institute of Technology in Nicosia, and the Cyprus Red Cross offices. Each one costs £12.
The thought provoking T-shirts, designed by Demos Natar and Thomas Yastrobnik, depict a chair which is the global symbol for HIV/AIDS, and are meant to make everyone take responsibility and put themselves in the place of AIDS victims, Constandinides said.
Starting yesterday until December 3, television channels will also air adverts designed to drive home the “do you know” message. The adverts star seven well known television reporters.
On December 1, World AIDS Day, and December 2 a campaign package will be distributed at all Areeba shops. The campaign will climax on December 2 when Sfera radio station will cover the campaign live from 10am to 1pm and invite the public to go by Areeba’s Nicosia store on Archbishop Makarios Avenue to get information about the campaign.
A workshop directed at young volunteers and members will also be held at the Family Planning Association in Nicosia on the same day, he said.
Did you know…?
l 38.6 million people in the world today live with the HIV/AIDS virus
l 4.1 million people have been infected with the HIV/AIDS virus in a year
l 2.8 million people have died from the HIV/AIDS virus in a year
l 80 per cent of all carriers are between the ages of 20 and 44
l the number of infected Cypriots is dramatically increasing
l although 10 out of 10 believe it their right to ask their partner to use protection, three feel uncomfortable to do so
l 11,000 people are infected with HIV/AIDS every day
l 1,500 children under the age of 15 are infected every day
l the virus is mainly transmitted through sexual contact
l the HIV/AIDS virus is not transmitted through a simple hug
l the HIV/AIDS virus is not transmittable through a handshake
l HIV/AIDS carriers have a right to live amongst us
l HIV/AIDS is a matter which concerns us all
l the next carrier could be you
