Siew urges care instead of intolerance of AIDS

“We should focus our efforts on AIDS prevention,” said Siew.”As long as we invest our efforts, there will be results.”

Siew was invited to speak at a press conference held by the Center of Disease Control (CDC) of the Department of Health on the eve of World AIDS Day to promote AIDS prevention and control. It was also aimed at raising public awareness of the need to support and care for people infected with AIDS.

“I hope that our community will show AIDS victims love and care instead discriminating against them,” said Siew. “If we devote care to the fight against AIDS, then I’m confident that we can stop the threat of the disease.”

According to Siew, President Ma Ying-jeou is supportive of the country’s anti-AIDS efforts. Everyone, whether in the public or private sector, should join the fight against AIDS, he added.

“This is not a crisis of one country, it is everywhere in the world — all countries should be involved in the effort to counter AIDS,” said Siew.

Siew recalled that when he went to Haiti during his term as premier, he found that there were numerous AIDS patients there.

“Taiwan has provided medicines to help the people of Haiti,” he said.

He also spoke of his visit to Swaziland, and the toll that the AIDS epidemic has taken on that Southern African country.

“When I went to Swaziland, I discovered that one third of the population had been stricken by AIDS,” said Siew. “The average life expectancy of the people there is 37 to 38 years old. This is due to the spread of the AIDS epidemic. I think this is a problem that concerns the whole world.”

Siew stressed that AIDS prevention and control is one of the most critical global health issues. In addition to devoting care to AIDS patients and not discriminating against them, there is also a need to protect their human rights, he added.

To help reduce the spread of AIDS, the Executive Yuan in 2001 established the “AIDS Prevention and Control Commission,” which integrates the resources of 12 government agencies and grassroots groups.

“Taiwan began fighting AIDS at early stage, and we focused on prevention as our strategy,” said Siew. “This approach has had good results,” he added, noting that the CDC also promotes AIDS screening programs for pregnant women, among other programs.

“Taiwan is one of few countries in the world where the government provides free medication for AIDS victims,” said Siew. “I am pleased to say that our citizens support the government’s AIDS policy.”

World AIDS Day, observed on Dec. 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection.

Despite recent improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 3.1 million lives in 2005, of which 570,000 were children.

The concept of World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programs for AIDS Prevention. Since then, it has been taken up by governments, international organizations and charities around the world.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email