UN suggests Moldovan authorities to lay more stress on educating youth to prevent AIDS

The Chisinau authorities should educate the youth at school how not to get infected with HIV/AIDS and how to lead a healthy life style, while the Education and Finance Ministries should get more involved in this issue. The statement was made a special envoy of the UN secretary general for HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Lars Kallings, Info-Prim Neo reports. Visiting Moldova, he told a conference Friday that he “remained shocked at the discrimination and stigmatization of vulnerable groups and of people infected with HIV/AIDS and that those phenomena have no place in a developed society.” Kallings has stated the Moldovan youth are not fully informed about this disease, although he appreciated Moldova;'s efforts to counter the scourge, adding that “Moldova's report on achievements is one of the best.” Moldova's actions in this respect, Kallings said, “were not recorded in other countries where the NGOs dealing with AIDS are often harassed.” The official suggests the Moldovan authorities to follow the West's example in coordinating the state bodies dealing with the HIV/AIDS issue and the private sector, especially companies. The representative of UNAIDS for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Sergey Furgal, has said the Moldovan authorities should display more willingness and communicate personally with people suffering from HIV/AIDS. According to an official of the Moldovan Preventive Medicine Center, Stefan Gheorghita, “the Moldovan laws in this respect are perfect”, but “society shall not only rely on authorities, since the results are not going to be as expected”. Moldova records 585 people infected with HIV/AIDS, who are being treated.