何宗勳の日誌

【台灣】Collective effort


Members of various human rights and social welfare groups sit in the shape of a ribbon in Ximending, Taipei, yesterday while posing for a photo to encourage government efforts to disseminate accurate information about HIV-AIDS prevention and help end public misconceptions and discrimination over the condition.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES

【印度】重視愛滋防範


印度首都新德里一群健全的非政府組織民眾在世界愛滋日前夕，手拿蠟燭、標語，並在地上用蠟燭擺出紅絲帶的圖形，想要藉此呼籲大眾重視愛滋病。根據世展會的資料，亞洲地區830萬個愛滋帶原總人口中有三分之二在印度，數據高的恐怖，不得不防患於未然。(歐新社)

【泰國】愛滋病患年齡下滑 青少年首當其衝


（法新社曼谷三十日電）泰國公共衛生部今天公佈研究報告指出，泰國青少年感染愛滋病的風險正日益提高，感染年齡出現下滑趨勢。

【印尼】寫下支持


12月1日為世界愛滋病日，在印尼雅加達紅十字會總部特別舉辦了一個世界愛滋病日的活動，讓民眾寫下對愛滋病患的支持，同時世界衛生組織也在今天「世界愛滋病日」發布報告，報告中顯示，感染愛滋病患以印度所佔人口最多，達390萬人，而全球感染愛滋病毒者有2456萬人，67%在非洲地區，其次為亞洲地區。(美聯社)

Taiwan reaches record-high in HIV/AIDS infection

2006/12/1
By Erika Wang Special to The China Post

The number of people in Taiwan infected with HIV/AIDS has reached its highest ever this year, according to participants in yesterday's Taiwan Red Ribbon event which was held at the Red Theater, to mark the 20th year of its discovery in the country and in commemoration of today's World AIDS Day.
Advocates demanded that the government and the Department of Health eradicate prejudice and general ignorance of the disease by increasing education efforts. Twenty years have passed since AIDS was first discovered in Taiwan, and the number of infected patients has reached an all-time high of 12,662 this year. However, the public remains greatly misinformed, advocates say.

Ho Tsung-hsun, secretary general of Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (TEPU) and host of the event, said that the most frightening thing is not the disease itself, but the public's prejudices.

The event concluded recognizing one participant in particular, an AIDS-infected patient nicknamed "Ah-Ting", to convey the message of acceptance.

"Ah Ting" spoke about the need for government to increase funding for hospitals so they can provide adequate care to patients, and the need to increase HIV/AIDS awareness among the public in general.

Though fewer participants than expected showed up for the event, those present were very enthusiastic. They wore red bandanas and the symbolic HIV/AIDS awareness red ribbon. They lined up to form a human ribbon as they sang and held hands.

Organizers of the event included Taiwan AIDS Foundation (TAF), Persons with HIV/AIDS Rights Advocacy Association of Taiwan (PRAA), Harmony Home Association of Taiwan (HHAT), Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association, among others.