Opposition MP Dr Amery Browne says the "H" in HIV must also mean "hope." Browne, a former Social Development minister and technical director of the National Aids Co-ordinating Committee (NACC), was addressing the 28 International Aids Conference in Vienna, Austria, on Tuesday.
"There is hope in the growing involvement of persons living with the virus as a great part of the solution to the pandemic," he said. Browne said there was "hope in that many parliamentarians are now willing to listen and become potential responders. "There is hope that good exemplars and leaders on this issue continue to emerge and should be facilitated and encouraged," he added.
He said while parliamentarians had not been the fastest responders to the global HIV crisis, "we welcome with renewed hope the direct advocacy for us, to us and among us to be a force for positive change." He said there was need for more public demonstrations of commitment.
According to Browne there must be:
�2 embracing and openly engaging people living with HIV;
�2 more use of social networks and text messaging to reach our youth;
�2 allocation of more resources towards comprehensive (HIV) prevention work in pre-schools, schools, workplaces and targeted interventions with the "most at risk" groups; and
�2 more urgency to improve legislative frameworks.
The conference which began on Sunday ends tomorrow.