'Roving Angels' help in AIDS awareness campaign

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Created on Tuesday, 02 December 2014 15:04

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Written by Anthony Thanasayan

Category: News

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More than 10,000 shoppers who patronised two of Kuala Lumpur's hottest public venues in the city last Saturday - Nu Sentral and KL Sentral Station - unexpectedly found themselves learning more about HIV and the deadly disease AIDS.
   
Rather than it being a scary occasion, shoppers from all walks of life, including people with disabilities, were pleasantly surprised to enter a happy, carnival-like mood and atmosphere, which made the whole experience fun and engaging. 
Close to 100 dedicated volunteers called ‘Roving Angels’ approached curious shoppers and onlookers with their message of hope.
Another hundred stayed put in their special booths or were seen running around to ensure that the event kept its momentum.
Each shopper received a red ribbon by a Roving Angel to announce the celebration of World AIDS Day on Dec 1.
Others were invited to support the ongoing work with HIV and AIDS.
Quite a few preferred to make a donation; others decided to make an appointment in order to get themselves tested for HIV and AIDS.
Soon, the shoppers and travellers in the shopping mall and train station became more visible with their purchase of red ribbons, flyers and other merchandise.
They wore them to show the public that they were against discrimination of people who have the disease.
The brainchild of the event, 'Wishing for Zero (in new HIV infections in the future)' was the PT Foundation - a KL-based, non-profit, community-based organisation aiming to provide information, education and care services relating to HIV/AIDS and sexuality in Malaysia.
It featured a full day of activities from 10am to 8pm. There were information booths around the mall to offer accurate and comprehensive information on HIV and AIDS.
Members of the public were also given the opportunity to obtain free vouchers for fully-confidential tests for HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections by taking part in HIV quizzes. 
The launch, which was held at midday, was sponsored by CIMB Foundation. They presented a mock cheque donation of RM107,400 during the ceremony.
Speaking to the crowd, PT Foundation Chairman Hisham revealed that there were "more than 80,000 (Malaysians) with HIV in the country".
"We stand (united) in solidarity (with them)," he added in his spirited speech.
"For more than 25 years, PT Foundation has been working on the front line in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Malaysia," Hisham went on.
"The good news is that in the past ten years, we have seen a decline in new HIV cases in the country.
"In a decade, the number of new infections annually has been halved - a major achievement as a result of years of commitment, bold decision-making and solid funding."
The PT Foundation's chief, however, pointed out that the encouraging news did not mean that there was no reason for concern.
"The bad news is that the fight is not over," he cautioned.
"While Malaysia has been successful in combating the virus through bold and effective harm reduction programmes which distribute clean needles and provide methadone therapy, it has been less effective in addressing sexual transmission of HIV. 
"Every day about 10 Malaysians test positive for HIV and more than 70 percent of all new infections have occurred through sexual transmission."
Emphasising the need for undergoing an HIV test, Hisham said it is the only way to find out if a person is infected with the virus or not.
"Most Malaysians do not talk about HIV or AIDS. Those living with HIV and who do not know it are infecting other people with the disease.
"Nowadays, for every four men newly-infected with HIV, one woman is infected.
"In 2013, 34 percent of new HIV infections were reported in young people between 13 years and 29 years of age.
"This is an alarming trend and we need to do more to turn the tide. We need to aim for zero new infections."
Hisham said the HIV epidemic presents new challenges which require renewed commitment, courage and vision.
"Malaysians get infected with HIV every day. The epidemic is not yet over, and more work needs to be done," he concluded.
Other VIP representatives at the weekend launch included the World Health Organisation to Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore, the Malaysia AIDS Council, Durex Malaysia and Singapore and Group Retail Asset Development.
For everyone at the event, the message, although stark, was poignantly urgent: the fight against HIV and AIDS can be won.