Kuala Lumpur - PT Foundation (formerly known as Pink Triangle) with the support of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) launched a two month intensive grassroots campaign starting today as part of their efforts to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The campaign will culminate in the commemoration of International AIDS Memorial Day on 18 May, observed annually around the world to honour the memory of those lost to the disease. In 2007 alone, 2.1 million people died of AIDS-related diseases.

Themed “Never Give Up, Never Forget”, the campaign represents a two pronged strategy to provide a lifeline for people living with HIV (PLHIV) and advocate for behaviour change and safe sex.

It aims to heighten awareness about the impact of HIV/AIDS on all levels of Malaysian society as well as to fight social stigma and prejudice which hampers effective HIV/AIDS prevention and care.

The launch event was attended by community representatives of PT foundation, members of the media, celebrity partners, and representatives from academia and various NGOs. 

 “Many of you may be wondering why we are having this morning’s event at this venue. This is our “Ground Zero.” This is where we work, assisting vulnerable communities to deal with HIV prevention and education, care and support,” said Hisham Hussein, Chairman of PT Foundation in his welcome speech.

 “This is very important because the only way of dealing with the epidemic we are facing is through peer education and support, which means that if these communities do not help themselves, the bottom line is, no one else would.”

The event also saw the launch of a UNCT publication titled, “Impact of HIV,” the first study in Malaysia to document the effects of HIV/AIDS on PLHIV, their families and society.

“One of the most painful symptoms of HIV/AIDS is persistent stigmatization and discrimination, borne from ignorance, indifference and prejudice, “said Dr. Richard Leete, UN Malaysia Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, in his speech.

“Despite various public health campaigns, we have found that PLHIV in Malaysia live in constant fear, which may prevent them from seeking treatment for AIDS or acknowledging their HIV status publicly.

“There is a need to scale up resources for community based organizations in order for them to expand their reach to vulnerable groups in society.

“The United Nations believes that every effort to fight AIDS at a global level is shaped and strengthened by the experiences of people confronting the disease on the ground and we are pleased to support PT Foundation in this vital role,” Dr. Leete added.

The event included a media dialogue which focused on issues and challenges in reporting on HIV/AIDS.

“The media must play its role in providing full comprehensive information on HIV education and prevention. We simply cannot just preach about abstinence and to be faithful but we must start talking about condom use.  It is about saving lives. A spade must be called a spade,” said Mr. Hisham.

To generate public support and urge families to take pro-active action to educate their loved ones about the disease, the campaign will initiate a petition for anti-discrimination against PLHIV, distribute car stickers and step up its outreach work among communities with high prevalence and risk of infection.

At the same time, Lite FM will be airing community service messages throughout the campaign while the Body Shop will help to raise funds for PT’s programmes via donation boxes at their outlets.

For further information on the campaign, please visit http://www.ptfmalaysia.org/. Click here for the related press releases ( 1,  2)