|
Back to Index
Ordinary
lives, extraordinary stories - WHO, International HIV/AIDS Alliance
& Christian Aid present faces of the HIV/AIDS epidemic
World Health Organization (WHO), International HIV/AIDS Alliance
& Christian Aid
November
22, 2005
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/new/2005/nw07/en/index.html
In collaboration
with the International HIV/AIDS Alliance and Christian Aid, the
World Health Organization (WHO) releases on its HIV/AIDS website
"Voices of Hope" - photo stories of communities affected by HIV/AIDS.
A set of 13
photo stories of people living with HIV and AIDS in Africa, Asia,
Europe and Latin America presents some of the real faces of the
epidemic that, by the end of 2005, had infected 40.3 million people.
More than 40% are women and 2.3 million are children.
The stories
include powerful images by Don McCullin, one of the worlds' leading
photo journalists, working in collaboration with Christian
Aid; and Gideon Mendel, a well-known contemporary photo journalist,
who documented community action on HIV and AIDS in collaboration
with the International HIV/AIDS Alliance.
Don McCullin
recorded the destruction of lives and families decimated by HIV/AIDS
in South Africa and Zambia. Some images, however, deliver a message
of hope, of lives regained thanks to access to HIV treatment.
Judith Melby,
of Christian Aid, a leading UK charity advocating for more support
on HIV/AIDS in developing countries, says "These photographs confront
us with the hard reality, not only of the unfolding human tragedy,
but of how governments have the power to tackle HIV/AIDS, and we
appeal they do."
In the photos
by Gideon Mendel, people living with HIV and AIDS show that they
are not just victims of misfortune, but a key part of the response
to stop the spread and devastation of HIV and AIDS.
"These stories
are full of compassion and courage and explain why and how, ordinary
people can make a difference. They show why more support needs to
be channelled to community responses," says Alvaro Bermejo, Executive
Director of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance.
"They show
people making a huge difference with very little support, and help
us all understand what works in each community. They are the living
proof that it can be done."
WHO, together
with its international and national partners is working towards
universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment, care and prevention. "These
photos show us the real faces of HIV, the devastation it causes,
and the reason why global commitment and action should be sustained,"
said Dr Jim Kim, HIV/AIDS Director of WHO.
For more information
contact:
Tunga Namjilsuren
Telephone: +41 22 791 1073
Email: namjilsurent@who.int
Simon Moore
Head of Communications Team,
Telephone: +44 (0) 123 771 8744
Email: smoore@aidsalliance.org
Judith Melby
Telephone: +44 (0) 207 523 2408
Email: jmelby@christian-aid.org
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
TOP
|
