February 19, 2006
THAILAND
Positive Kids Fear Negative Effect of Ignorant Good Samaritans
by Sutthida Malikaew
BANGKOK — Thailand is a country with perhaps the most experience in Asia in dealing with HIV/AIDS. It's national AIDS programme is regularly cited as an example of successful intervention. more
THAILAND
'I Want to Reach the Star of Hope'
by Sutthida Malikaew
BANGKOK — New (not her real name), a 15 year-old girl living with HIV, never knew she could draw, much less realise that she actually enjoys drawing. But these days, drawing is how New expresses herself. It soothes her volatile nerves and calms her inner fire. more
CHINA
Slowly, Transforming the Party Line on AIDS
by Ma Guihua and Lin Gu, Beijing*
Prof. Jin Wei had never been as touched by a conference the way she was during the XV International AIDS Conference in July 2004 in Thailand. Sitting among tens of thousands of people inside the stadium where the conference was held, Jin witnessed U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan light a candle in the darkness, which was subsequently broken by numerous flashlights that lit up and dotted the whole venue. more
COMMENTARY
Reaching out to MSM: Crossing Gender Boundaries at a Time of AIDS
by Jomar Fleras, Manila*
Mark is a 29-year-old married man who works as a manager in the personnel department of a bank in Makati City, the Philippines. Before driving back to his middle-class suburban house south of Makati, where his wife and one- year-old son await him, he whiles away his time by cruising the men's comfort rooms in a premier shopping mall near his office. more
ZIMBABWE
Disabled at Greater Risk of HIV Infection
by Tafi Murinzi, Bulawayo
''Do you think I can go for an HIV test and be accepted?" Zitha scoffs at the suggestion. more
SOUTH AFRICA
Subsistence Farmers, Affected by HIV/AIDS, Find Too Little Help
by Kristin Palitza, Durban
Subsistence agriculture makes for a hard life, particularly in areas that are badly hit by HIV. Put farming and AIDS together, add drought or disease, and you have a diabolical mixture of circumstances. more
Drug Users Get a Voice
by Zofeen Ebrahim, Karachi
"We've done enough of research, we've asked enough questions and have all the answers and the evidence. We know what doesn't work for the 3.3 million injecting drug users (IDUs) in the Asia-Pacific region. Messages like 'say no to drugs or calling for 'a drug-free world' certainly don't," said 47-year old Tariq Zafar, call the spread of HIV/AIDS an "IDU-ignited epidemic in Asia". more
THAILAND
HIV/AIDS Stalks Burmese Migrant Workers
by Marwaan Macan-Markar, Samut Sakhon
Fear drove Ma Ne from her home in Burma's Mon state to this port town famous for its seafood processing factories. She wanted to escape the forced labour policy of the Burmese military regime. more
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