DUSHANBE, May 14, 2010, Asia-Plus — An action to honor all those who have been affected by AIDS pandemic is taking place in Dushanbe today.
The event is organized by the Republican AIDS Center in cooperation with local and international partners under technical support of the UNDP Tajikistan and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
According to the statistical data from the Ministry of Health, as of January 1, 2011, 2,857 HIV sufferers, including 577 women, were officially registered in Tajikistan.
Injecting drug users (IDUs) constitute 55 percent of the overall number of officially registered people living with HIV in the country, those contracted the disease through sexual intercourse constitute 28 percent and 10 percent of the officially registered HIV sufferers in Tajikistan are labor migrants.
More than 600 HIV-infected people in Tajikistan are undergoing antiretroviral therapy.
The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, coordinated by the Global Network of People living with HIV is one of the world’s oldest and largest grassroots mobilization campaigns for HIV/AIDS awareness in the world. Started in 1983, the Candlelight Memorial takes place every third Sunday in May and is led by a coalition of some 1,200 community organizations in 115 countries hosting local memorials to honor the lives lost and raise social consciousness about HIV. The Candlelight is also much more than just a memorial. It provides opportunities for leadership development, policy advocacy, partnerships, and improvement of community mobilization skills. With 33 million people living with HIV today, the Candlelight continues to serve as an important intervention for global solidarity, breaking down barriers, and giving hope to new generations.
Memorials range from small community vigils to multi-day national commemorations. In addition to remembrance, many coordinating organizations use the Candlelight Memorial as an opportunity to promote local AIDS services, encourage education and community dialogue, and advocate for the advancement of public policy. Memorials often include lighting of candles, marches, speeches, dramatic performances, spiritual and cultural rituals, and a safe space for interaction and community engagement.
