Moldova is the third country in the CIS by HIV/AIDS infection rate

Moldova is the third country in the CIS after Russia and Ukraine by the HIV/AIDS infection rate, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde F. Johnson told a news conference in Chisinau on October 9. According to the UNICEF official, the number of children aged between 10 and 12 that got infected with HIV/AIDS increased fivefold over 2002-2006. As a rule, these children are stigmatized and rejected by the society, while some of them are denied access to education and social services. The taboo on the issue of HIV/AIDS in Moldova worsens the situation even more. “In such cases, the silence can kill,” Hilde F. Johnson said. The deputy executive director of UNICEF called on the opinion leaders in Moldova to talk about HIV/AIDS and to provide support to the infected persons. In this connection, Hilde F. Johnson expressed her regret that the students could not find out more about the disease through the Life Habits course stipulated in the National Program on the Prophylaxis and Control of HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases for 2006- 2010. Currently, UNICEF Moldova organizes activities to inform the young people about HIV/AIDS. The information is passed on also by fellows of the same age and they are treated on equal terms.