DUSHANBE, February 25, 2014, Asia-Plus – A number of activities dedicated to the Zero Discrimination Campaign will take place in Tajikistan on February 27.
Initiated by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the event will bring together senior representatives of the UN agencies and international organizations active in the country as well as representatives of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Ombudsman’s Office of Tajikistan and experts from the CIS nations to discuss issues related to the elimination of stigma and discrimination.
The event participants will also discuss the issue of combating stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDs within the CIS area, providing assistance to people affected by epidemic, etc.
The end of discrimination against HIV patients is reportedly the main objective of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV / AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2014.
The Zero Discrimination Day Campaign will take place on March 1, 2014, with the participation of Nobel Peace Prize, Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar.
The campaign has adopted the butterfly as the transformative symbol for zero discrimination and UNAIDS has designed posters, a greeting card, stickers and a brochure featuring the butterfly.
UNAIDS reportedly aims to achieve a global transformation in treating the sick. Discrimination, according to the UN agency, can affect people in different ways.
Regarding the workplace, the UN Program says that discrimination is a major obstacle to the expansion of access to HIV treatments.
Official data on the disease show that one in seven people living with the virus are denied access to health services and over 10% do not get jobs because they are HIV positive.
The head of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibe, said it would be impossible to zero the rate of new infections and AIDS-related deaths without an end to discrimination.
