Reaching out to people with HIV/AIDS

Reaching out to people with HIV/AIDS

DENPASAR: In conjunction with the upcoming International AIDS Day
on Dec. 1, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Bali Chapter held a
poster contest titled: Reaching out to people with HIV/AIDS.

The contest, jointly supported by the Indonesian Red Cross,
the Netherlands Red Cross and Global Fund, is aimed at raising
people's awareness of the importance of supporting people living
with HIV/AIDS.

The contest is also part of the national and international
campaign against HIV/AIDS.

Bali has the fourth highest number of people living with
HIV/AIDS in the country.

"At present, discrimination against people living with
HIV/AIDS still occurs due to a lack of information and knowledge
of the issue," said contest coordinator Sastra Atmadja.

Contest participants were teenagers under 24 and well as youth
organizations and local schools. Winners of the contest were SMA
Negeri I state-run high school, Kediri, Tabanan Regency (first
place), PMI's Buleleng Chapter in North Bali (first runner-up),
SMP negeri 2, Kuta Selatan junior high school (second-runner-up).
--JP