Over 8,000 people living with HIV from all over Andhra Pradesh converged at Shilparamam here on Friday and signed the ‘Hyderabad Declaration’.
The declaration, a collective effort of individuals, organisations and agencies working on issues related to HIV/AIDS, includes a promise to ensure that through the ‘0/7 campaign,’ HIV infection in newborn children would be minimised and aim of ‘zero infections’ would be achieved.
The Union minister for labour Mr Oscar Fernandez, who is also the convenor of parliamentary panel on HIV/ Aids, inaugurated the event. “The campaign is meant to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease and to empower people to come forward voluntarily to get tested to know their HIV status,” he said A DC report