Estimated worldwide HIV infections: 50 512 218 at 9.56am on Wednesday January 29 2003
This week the United States launched a R6-million programme to promote HIV/Aids education in Vietnam’s workplaces. ‘Part of the programme is to try to decrease the discrimination and stigma of HIV and Aids,” said Jennifer Bacchus, a representative of the US Department of Labour.
Programme workers will explain to employers that ‘just because somebody is HIV-positive, it doesn’t mean they cannot work”. Employers need to come up with a way to support victims. In the early 1990s several workers in Vietnam were fired after testing HIV-positive. Many infections went undetected as a result, because people did not want to be tested for fear of being ostracised.
Young women at risk: Human Rights Watch this week reported that widespread sexual abuse in Zambia was fuelling the spread of HIV among girls and young women. An estimated 21,5% of adult Zambians and about 120 000 children are infected with the virus.
The report describes children sexually abused by trusted family members or respected community leaders. Girls are raped on long walks to school or are sexually abused by teachers once they get there. Some girls orphaned by HIV are forced to sleep with ‘sugar daddies” to survive and others turn to prostitution, the report said. The group demanded that the government increase training for police and court officials about sexual abuse and that it rigorously prosecute perpetrators.
Source: Associated Press