International News Middle East; North Africa: Stigma, Taboo Create Conditions for Stealthy Mideast AIDS EpidemicAugust 23, 2006 Despite having the lowest HIV rates of any world region -- estimated at just 0.2 percent by UNAIDS -- the Middle East and North Africa could be on the verge of an AIDS nightmare, according to experts. Widespread ignorance about AIDS fuels a deeply ingrained prejudice against those with a disease often linked to sex. Other factors that could drive an epidemic are the population's young age, taboos against homosexuality and mass movements of people fleeing wars in the region. "We are not deemed [normal], HIV is considered punishment, we have no place in society," said one Jordanian man with HIV who traveled to the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto. At the conference, HIV-positive people from the region shared stories of mistreatment, discrimination and violence. "My family rejected me when they discovered I was ill," said a Moroccan woman, age 40. Dr. Samir Anouti of UNAIDS' regional support team called for more visible anti-AIDS efforts throughout the region, adding, "Only 5 percent of those in need are receiving antiretroviral drugs, and there is increased evidence of risks and vulnerability." In a positive development, the UN Development Program has been hosting workshops to advise Muslim imams on how to include AIDS in their sermons. Agence France Presse 08.17.2006; Catherine Hours ![]() Middle Eastern, North African Countries Should Acknowledge Drug Use, Sex Industry to Prevent Spread of HIV, U.N. Official Says ![]() Officials Discuss Increasing HIV/AIDS Incidence Among Women in Middle East, North Africa, Call for Action This article was provided by CDC National Prevention Information Network. It is a part of the publication CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update.
|