tridd forums

Thanks to Charles for this info. Charles tells me he plans to write a more indepth atricle about HIV stigma in the near future, which I hope to be able to share here soon.
_____________________________________________________________

STIGMA SURVIVES

In an AIDS hospice in Lop Buri, Thailand, bags of deceased patients' ashes wait to be claimed by relatives. Despite making significant progress in 2007 in managing and preventing the spread of HIV, not least through pioneering the use of low-cost antiretroviral drugs, Thailand continues to struggle with the stigma attached to the condition.

The hospice, based at a Buddhist temple, houses thousands of such white sacks, but it is not only the dead who are forgotten or ignored. Improved access to treatment means that the hospice is now overcrowded with survivors - healthy people who are homeless because they have been ostracized by their families.

The high-profile public education campaign run by the Thai Government improved awareness but its harsh message created an atmosphere of fear, with AIDS survivors being treated like lepers. In addition, the success of the campaign has led to complacency within both the Government and the general public - with the result that risky behavior is increasing and infection rates are set to start climbing again.

Photo: Tom Parker/Report Digital
From Jan/Feb 08 New Internationalist magazine, 55 Rectory Rd, Oxford, UK, OX4 1BW;
ni@newint.org
www.newint.org