UNAIDS ambassador calls for zero discrimination
- By Li Jingrong
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E-mail China.org.cn, April 28, 2018
To achieve the goal of terminating the spread of AIDS by the year 2030, the most pressing matter of the moment is to promote awareness of AIDS prevention and control, and to put an end to discrimination.
These remarks were made by Huang Xiaoming, UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for China, in an interview with China.org.cn on Tuesday, April 24, following a dialogue held with students at Peking University about the need to achieve zero discrimination to end the AIDS epidemic and ensure better health for all.
Huang, a movie star whose name is well-known across China, explained what motivated him to become a UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador and engage in zero-discrimination activities.
"I have seen children suffering from discrimination related to AIDS. Their oppression touched me a great deal and made me start to think about how I could help them," Huang said.
Huang admitted that the word AIDS once sounded "terrible" to him. "However," he said, "with a better understanding of scientific and medical knowledge, I have learned that it isn't that terrible."
He is particularly sympathetic to the plight of innocent children suffering from AIDS. "We should give more care and help and zero discrimination to this group of children. They should enjoy the same rights as normal people to gain access to education and various services," he said.
Lorena Castillo de Varela, the first lady of Panama and UNAIDS Special Ambassador for Latin America, was also present at Tuesday's event, during which the two ambassadors held in-depth discussions with students on AIDS-related topics and shared their efforts to fight against discrimination and create a healthier world.
Ms. Lorena Castillo de Varela agreed with Huang, stressing that everyone has the right to basic medical services, education and information, so as to lead a happy and fulfilling life.
According to information shared at the event, China has made significant progress in the field of AIDS prevention and control, including reducing drug addiction, AIDS-related deaths and HIV infection.
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