207 INDIVIDUALS DIED OF AIDS IN ARMENIA

A1Plus.am
17/05/10

Every 14 seconds, a child is orphaned by AIDS. Two million people
died of AIDS all over the world in 2008.

On May 16, hundreds of candles were lit in Yerevan’s Lovers Park to
commemorate AIDS victims. The event was organized by Yerevan group of
Y-PEER with the assistance of United Nations Population Fund. Local
volunteers distributed booklets to passers-by informing on AIDS.

A candlelight memorial takes place in 85 countries on the third
Sunday in May every year. The purpose is to honor all those affected
by the AIDS pandemic, as well as to educate about HIV/AIDS, influence
local and national policy makers, and create community dialogue about
HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment.

The memorial began in 1983 in San Francisco, United States.

It is a few years Armenia has joined the event campaigning for HIV/AIDS
awareness in the world. 842 AIDS carriers have been recorded in Armenia
since 1988 with 60 percent falling into the 25-39-age category. 207
individuals died of AIDS in the country including 35 women and four
children.