In Focus

Two specialists speak as they watch interviews of people on the street regarding HIV and AIDS, elucidating and negating common notions and ideas about HIV and AIDS in “Seen and Heard”, a 5 minute video about HIV and AIDS in Arab culture.

Through this video, the two specialists try to make their audiences understand how the virus spreads and how to protect themselves from it, as well as to explain to the audiences that exaggerated fear would cause people living with HIV to conceal their condition. One of them also mentions that neglect and avoidance will lead to an increase in the spread of HIV.

This is also what Church World Service strives to address by integrating HIV and AIDS programs with the Protecting Urban 

Refugee through Empowerment or PURE project in Indonesia. “Awareness toward HIV and AIDS among refugees is relatively low, although some of them come from countries with high rate of HIV prevalence,” said Lukman H. Moeslich, CWS’ Program Manager. He pointed out that insufficient information on basic reproductive and sexual health makes the refugees more vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases or STDs.

On 1 and 2 December 2009 refugees were invited to a series of information sessions in Jakarta and Cipayung, West Java, a part of the culmination of World AIDS Day commemoration on 20 December 2009. Sixty refugees from Afghanistan, Congo, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Palestine, Somalia and Sri Lanka participated in the information session on HIV and AIDS.

Red Ribbon
(CWS)

Dr. Becky Kuhn’s video "Introduction to HIV and AIDS: What You Need to Know" was shown at the beginning of the session, giving participants an understanding of what HIV and AIDS is, how HIV is transmitted, and how to protect themselves from the virus.

We all should have the necessary information to protect ourselves. This is why access to valid and correct information on HIV and AIDS is critical. The 2009 World AIDS Day‘s theme, Universal Access and Human Rights, does not solely mean promoting access to anti-retroviral drug for HIV positive people but also

access to information on HIV and AIDS for all; access to medication and information is a human right.

Through WAD commemoration, Refugees were provided with relevant information on HIV and AIDS and encouraged to learn more about it. “So far I have had good access to information on HIV and AIDS from electronic media, however this kind of interactive event gives me better information because I can always ask about anything I haven’t understood,” said Ibrahim Ma’alim Isaak from Somalia.

According to the Joint UN Program on HIV and AIDS or UNAIDS, it is estimated that 33.4 million people worldwide are infected with HIV. The 2008 Report on Global AIDS Epidemic says that the annual number of new HIV infections declined from 3.0 million in 2001 to 2.7 million in 2007. Better access to information and medication on HIV and AIDS has been proven to save many lives.