Prizes for promoters of fight against HIV/AIDS

01.12.2011 11:12
847
2 minute(s)

Twenty-four representatives of the nongovernmental and public sectors, who promoted activities aimed at preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS at national level and at cultivating tolerance towards HIV-infected persons, were awarded the Red Ribbon prize, Info-Prim Neo reports. “There are yet cases of discrimination. This is a serious problem and we want to show that the HIV-infected people can also be successful and achieve results as the other persons,” said Rodica Iftodi, coordinator of the Global Anti-AIDS Campaign in Moldova. Maria, one of the winners of the Red Ribbon prize, who is infected with HIV, said she hid this fact at the beginning, but after informing herself she started to tell other people about her problem. She said the fact that she has a family, a healthy child and a job where she is respected and accepted are her greatest accomplishments. Another winner Maxim Melinte, priest of the Church in Ghidighici, said he became involved in a number of events aimed at preventing HIV/AIDS and informing the people in Ghidighici about the disease. “We convey the message that this disease is not a reason for discriminating the people. The Church calls on everyone to take communion. There were stereotypes that were deep-rotted in the hearts and minds of the faithful, mainly in the suburbs. It was hard to remove them,” he stated. Radu Tarus, a student of the Free International University who received the Red Ribbon prize, said he is a volunteer of the Dance for Life project. “It is a project that promotes a healthy lifestyle. This year, the project has carried out activities in all the country’s districts. We have over 4,000 agents of change who work within our project,” he stated. Aliona Serbulenko, head of the Health Ministry’s National Public Health Programs Division, said more and more young people become infected with HIV. “Each third HIV-infected person is from the Transnistrian region,” she said. In Moldova there are about 7 000 officially recorded HIV-infected persons. On December 1, it is celebrated the World AIDS Day.