Minsk, 19 May 2006 - Starting from 1983 the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is marked every year on the third Sunday of May in more than 85 countries.

On 19 May the youth informational and educational consulting room on HIV/AIDS on the premises of the AIDS prevention department of the National Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health hosted a press-conference on the occasion of the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial.

The event was held under the UNDP project “HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment in the Republic of Belarus” implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The issues of medical and socio-economic significance of the HIV/AIDS problem in Belarus and measures taken by the state, international and public organizations to solve the problem were covered during the discussion.

“The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial acts as a catalyst for communities around the world to begin talking about HIV/AIDS. It is a unique event that promotes discussion, education, awareness and action,” UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Belarus, Cihan Sultanoglu, said.

The press-conference has become one of the actions within the information campaign “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise” carried out in Belarus under the UNDP project. The campaign is focused on family values, the necessity to change the negative attitude in the society to people infected with HIV and sick with AIDS, and on HIV/AIDS prevention.

By 1 May 2006, the total number of HIV-registered cases in Belarus had reached 7,309 (75 by 100,000 people). However, experts believe that the number of Belarusian citizens infected with HIV surpasses the official statistics by 3-4 times. 797 deaths of HIV-infected people have been registered in Belarus by today.

“Despite the increase in the number of HIV-infected people in Belarus, there is some encouraging information. For the past 10 years our youths have become less exposed to the disease. This is the result of the huge workload sometimes invisible which is carried out under the UNDP project, in particular,” Deputy Minister of Health and the National coordinator of the UNDP project, Mikhail Rimzha, noted.

On 21 May, actions in memory of victims of AIDS will take place in Belarus and in the whole world. On this day the Minsk temple of God’s Mother “Joy of All Mourning” will host an action “Light a Candle”. A special dirge for AIDS victims will be served. The priests will talk to HIV/AIDS-infected and their relatives. A thematic film will be presented.

Since 1981, when the first HIV case was registered, over 25 million people have died, thus giving grounds to consider HIV/AIDS as one of the most devastating pandemics in the history of mankind. According to experts’ estimations, the number of HIV-infected people totaled 40,3 million in 2005. Despite the fact that the access to anti-retrovirus treatment and care in many regions of the world has been improved in the past few years, about 3,1 million people died of AIDS in 2005.

For further information please refer to UNDP Communications Associate Vladislav Khilkevich, at 227-38-17, or Public Information Assistant of the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment project, Maria Malinovskaya, at 8-029-662-41-84.

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