UNAIDS launches public exhibition on HIV/AIDS

The voices and faces of persons living with HIV/AIDS, who have felt the brunt of social discrimination and stigmatisation in Trinidad and Tobago, will be featured in a public exhibition at the National Library from today through December 12.

This will be the major highlight of a Life Histories Project of the Caribbean office of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. The project consists of three elements — a display  of 48 photographs entitled “Living with HIV/AIDS in Trinidad and Tobago”; a video — “In My Skin,” and a book — Voice, detailing the experiences of 15 persons with HIV/AIDS in Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. The project was formally launched yesterday with a reception at the Old Fire Brigade Building of the National Library. The exhibition will be opened to the public from today — World AIDS Day. At today’s World AIDS Day observance, Education Minister Hazel Manning will be presented with over 600 copies of the videos entitled, “Live and Let Live” by US Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago Dr Roy Austin.

Production of the videos, which was commissioned by the US Embassy on behalf of the Ministry of Education, will be distributed to schools throughout Trinidad and Tobago.  It was produced from a verse and song contest for schools with the aim of highlighting efforts to reduce the stigma against persons affected with HIV/AIDS. Let and Let Live is also the theme of World AIDS Campaign, which has been adopted by countries throughout the world. Several organisations are collaborating with UNAIDS to focus the populatioin of TT on the need to eliminate stigma and discrimination against affected persons. Among them are the National AIDS Programme of the Ministry of Health; Trinidad and Tobago AIDS Alliance; Port-of-Spain City Corporation; the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago, and Community Action Resource (CARe), a non-governmental organisation, which provides care and support to persons with HIV/AIDS. The Netherlands Embassy and a private sector company BHP Billiton also supported UNAIDS in staging the exhibition at the National Library. The location provides easy access by the large clientele of the library, including scores of school children who use the facilities on a daily basis.