ARMENIA LIGHTS A PATH TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR HIV AND AIDS MEMORIAL DAY

Source: World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe office (MEERO)
Reuters AlertNet, UK
May 23 2006

‘Lighting the Path to a Brighter Future’ was this year’s theme for
International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day, and events were held in
Armenia focusing specifically on young people.

‘Today we are not only remembering those who died, but reinforcing
our resolve to fight against HIV and AIDS,’ said Mark Kelly, World
Vision Armenia National Director.

More than 300 university students, journalists, government and NGO
representatives attended an event at the Chamber Music Theatre in
Yerevan, the capital. Young singers, youth choirs and orchestras
communicated their message on HIVprevention through their performances.

Red candles were lit in the hall forming a red ribbon, the symbol of
HIV awareness. Brochures and booklets on HIV and AIDS were distributed
to all the participants of the event.

‘It is very important for young people to learn about HIV in order to
protect themselves from this dangerous virus,’ says Ofelia Karapetyan,
a student from Yerevan.

Candles were lit during the events – held in Yerevan, and in Lori and
Tavush regions, north-eastern Armenia – to symbolise the 83 lives,
including those of two children, which have already been lost to AIDS
in Armenia.

Renate Ehmer, the UNAIDS Inter-Country Coordinator for Southern
Caucasus, stressed that the Candlelight Memorial Day is not only a day
for commemorating friends and family members, but also a day of hope,
because there is treatment that helps people with HIV live longer
and healthier life, and because there are ways to stop the epidemic
by raising knowledge on HIV and fighting stigma and discrimination.

Several factors, such as poverty, economic and social insecurity and
migration to the high prevalence countries, contribute to the spread
of HIV in Armenia. There are 378 registered HIV carriers although
the actual number is estimated to be up to 3,000 – a considerable
figure for a country with a population of three million. Although
Armenia still is a low-prevalence country, only joint efforts by the
government, NGOs, church, mass media and the general public can help
to slow down the rates of HIV infection and prevent an HIV epidemic.

The Candlelight Memorial takes places every year on May 21, in more
than 4,500 communities in 93 countries. The purpose of this global
action, initiated by the Global Health Council, is to remember those
who died of AIDS and contribute to the prevention of HIV.

World Vision in partnership with UNAIDS, the National Centre for AIDS
Prevention, ‘Real World, Real People’ and ‘Force’ NGOs coordinated
events for the third time.

Through its programme focused on HIV prevention, World Vision helps
to educate people in Armenia about HIV and to fight discrimination
related to HIV and AIDS. For the past four years, World Vision
facilitated training sessions and distributed educational materials,
organised children’s theatre performances and television programmes
on HIV issues. With World Vision support, school children and young
people from Armenia participated in global actions, such as ‘Lesson
for Life’, AIDS Memorial quilt and other worldwide campaigns.