Azmi, who is also the goodwill ambassador of South Asian Regional Cooperation (SAARC) for HIV/AIDS said such people think that HIV positive people deserve death because they get infected because of their ‘wrongdoings’. “This is unjust and unjustified,” she said while speaking at a press meet organized by SAARC Tuberculosis Center in the Kathmandu Tuesday.
She said HIV is not just a medical problem and is more linked to social, cultural and economic issues. She further said people like herself could work to remove the stigma and discrimination. There are horrific stories where HIV positive people are tied with chain. She shared that in the past the whole population in a village in India was not allowed to vote because one HIV case was identified in the village. “HIV is a big issue and can’t be dealt with by a single country,” she added.
In order to clarify prejudices, women need to be empowered. For this it is a must to put women at decision-making level so that they can decide about their life.
She said two million people in the world die due to health complications resulting from HIV. The infection is increasing in South Asia with 2.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Similarly, 1.7 million people in the world die due to tuberculosis. Ninety-five percent of the nine million new cases of tuberculosis are found in developing countries alone.
Earlier in the day she had a meeting with Minister for Health and Population Girirajmani Pokharel.
Related story
Indian legendary figures Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi to visit...
