AS THE world commemorates World Aids Day, the Ohhh! Foundation has called on the World Health Organisation to rename HIV to end stigma and save lives.
Through its Youth Against Aids initiative, the foundation released an open letter saying HIV was an “epidemic of the mind” and changing thinking and behaviour was needed to end it. Project leader Bongiwe Ndlovu said: “People living with HIV fear being labelled as promiscuous, impure and infectious and this leads to vulnerable groups and people living with HIV not seeking treatment and prevention services.”
She said despite the massive strides that have been made in HIV treatment options, many people were not seeking help because of fear.
“Asking the World Health Organisation to give the virus a new name is meant to acknowledge advances in treatment and improve the public understanding of HIV. It will help people living with HIV leave behind the stigma associated with the name HIV,” she said.
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Bongiwe told Daily Sun they had been running the campaign for a few months and had met with people living with HIV, activists, researchers and organisations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers. She said Youth Against Aids had been working to prevent new infections among young people and the initiative was active in South Africa and Namibia. She urged everyone to fight against HIV by visiting updatehiv.com and adding their names to the open letter.
