International AIDS Memorial Day

International AIDS Memorial Day

Judging from the day-to-day experience of HIV-infected persons in Serbia, our society, unlike most of others in the world, is still plagued with bias and discrimination when it comes to HIV/AIDS issues.

Sandra Mančić, a recovered heroin addict who entered the rehabilitation program three years ago, says that even her strong will to return to normal life cannot wipe out the consequences of the heroin-addict past.

“I was only twelve when I tried drugs for the first time. I took up intravenous heroin injections as a seventeen year old teenager, and a year later tested positive for Hepatitis C. I found out that I am HIV positive when I turned 23,” she explained.

Sandra is an activist of the non-governmental organization “Sunce” whose mission is to help HIV-infected persons cope with their problems. There are 2088 registered HIV cases in Serbia, but the genuine figure is said to be ten times bigger.

The fear of discrimination is one of the main reasons why the young in Serbia rarely get tested for HIV.

“We have a situation when a person tells his/her neighbors about being HIV positive and a day later sees an offensive note glued on the entrance door reading “Get out of the building!”. It also happens that a HIV-positive person gets fired when asks a day off from his/her boss so as to get a therapy,” Vojislav Arsić, coordinator of the Remembrance Day campaign, said.

More than a half of HIV cases registered in Serbia have developed AIDS syndrome, as 918 them died of consequences.

Sunce and other NGO activists will light a candle in memory of the HIV/AIDS victims in downtown Belgrade and remind citizens that AIDS has ceased to be an illness typical of certain social groups.

“When HIV first occurred, we’ve had risk groups, including sex workers, homosexuals, drug addicts, but thanks to the prevailing opinion that HIV always happens to soemone else, we have the situation where the virus has spread onto all pores of society,” Arsić explained.

“We no longer have risk groups, but risky behavior,” he added.

The awareness raising  campaign aimed against the discrimination of HIV-infected people has gathered 13 Serbia’s non-governmental organizations, as the International AIDS Memorial Day is being observed in 111 countries worldwide.