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Stigma Major Barrier to Fighting AIDS, Says Piot

December 2, 2002

A note from TheBody.com: Since this article was written, the HIV pandemic has changed, as has our understanding of HIV/AIDS and its treatment. As a result, parts of this article may be outdated. Please keep this in mind, and be sure to visit other parts of our site for more recent information!

On the eve of World AIDS Day, UNAIDS head Peter Piot said that stigma and discrimination remain major barriers to controlling the pandemic in Africa, where close to 30 million people are infected. Speaking to an audience in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Piot said the social prejudices suffered by people with AIDS could be as destructive as the disease itself. "Stigma silences individuals and communities, saps their strength, increases their vulnerability, isolates people and deprives them of care, of support," he said. "We must break down these barriers or the epidemic will have no chance of being pushed back," he added. Piot said there are encouraging signs that prevention efforts are bearing fruit among young people in Ethiopia and South Africa.

Back to other CDC news for December 2, 2002

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Adapted from:
New York Times
11.30.02; Reuters

A note from TheBody.com: Since this article was written, the HIV pandemic has changed, as has our understanding of HIV/AIDS and its treatment. As a result, parts of this article may be outdated. Please keep this in mind, and be sure to visit other parts of our site for more recent information!


  
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This article was provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is a part of the publication CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update.
 
See Also
World AIDS Day News

 

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