Parliamentarians called on to tackle HIV/AIDS

[posted 12 October 2004, 11:00]

The inaugural meeting of the "The Role of Parliamentarians in the Fight against HIV/AIDS in the Pacific" took place this past weekend.  Highlighting the need to address the spread of HIV/AIDS region-wide, the  meeting was a first to bring together Parliamentarians from all over the Pacific to face, what is increasingly, a common danger.

Held at the Tradewinds Convention Center in Lami, the meeting participants were called upon to use their position in society to bring about open discussion of the disease.  

The issue is of particular importance to Fiji with growing tourism numbers and a marked increase in prostitution are planting the seeds for a public health disaster.  

The Prime Minister, the keynote speaker, outlined Fiji's strategic plan for dealing with the disease.  He cited the creation of a comprehensive Strategic Plan to deal with the fight against the disease.  The plan has issue-areas ranging from improving the way victims are treated by those around them, to providing care, support, and drugs for patients.