‘Wear red on World AIDS Day’

National, Normal
Source:

By ALISON ANIS

THE colour red is expected to fill up the streets of Port Moresby and Lae city tomorrow in commemoration of the World AIDS Day.
The business houses in the two centres had giant red ribbon already put up outside their buildings as a sign of solidarity in combating the global epidemic that had claimed many lives in Papua New Guinea and all over the world.
In follow up to the World AIDS DSSay tomorrow, PNG Business Coalition Against HIV and AIDS (BAHA) had distributed 10 giant red ribbon flags for major buildings and key sites in Port Moresby which included Deloitte Tower- the tallest building in the country.
BAHA has also encouraged corporate bodies in private sectors and those who were supportive of the AIDS awareness drive from the two centres to put up giant red ribbons in acknowledgment of the day.
“So far BAHA, has noted up to 100 red ribbon flags pinned up outside buildings in Lae and Port Moresby. This is a great effort from the business HIV policy holders in both centers who have acted on their own initiative in supporting red ribbon day,” general manager for BAHA, Carolyn Bunemiga, said.
She said BAHA had successfully counted 50 red ribbon flags to businesses in Lae and Port Moresby who were partners with BAHA through the development of HIV and AIDS workplace policy.
Ms Bunemiga said they were also expecting a huge turn out in the number of city residents wearing red T-Shirts tomorrow following success over the last two years in getting workers and general public to wear red on World AIDS Day.
“This is a simple way of messaging the importance of thinking and gaining greater understanding about HIV and AIDS and the consequences of not addressing the situation now,” she added.
She said the message BAHA was bringing to PNG was to acknowledge that there was an HIV epidemic in our county and we all need to take action to fight it.