Respect HIV shelters

National, Normal
Source:

The National

PLACES earmarked by the community for HIV positive people to live in should be respected by the public, just like any establishment or home, the National AIDS Council Secretariat said.
These designated sites had been set aside so that members of this vulnerable group could seek treatment, care and counselling and for support and motivation.
NACS care and counselling adviser David Passiram said this last week when responding to recent media reports of an alleged rape of a woman within a designated house for HIV positive people in Mt Hagen.
Mr Passiram said that designated venues, which had been provided for HIV positive people within the community and which had also been recognised by the community, should be left alone and respected.
“Such facilities are provided so that specialised services and support for HIV positive people could be provided and for their security and safety to be guaranteed.
“People living with HIV should be left alone so that they will freely move around to access services and support or left to live their lives,” he said.
Mr Passiram also said that people living with HIV/AIDS were entitled to the same rights and aspirations as every one else in the community and should, therefore, be accorded the same respect and dignity everyone deserves.
He said that dissrespect and other poor attitude actions by young people, especially men, were bad.
“We continue to talk about the attitude problem of men in society and after 34 years of Independence, we need to change some of our attitudes for the betterment of our multi-ethnic cultural society,” he said.