Tibetans in exile observe World AIDS Day[Thursday, 2 December 2010, 3:16 p.m.]

A HIV/AIDS awareness programme was organised by the Department of Health in Dharamsala to mark the World AIDS Day on 1 December 2010

On the occasion of World AIDS Day
on 1 December, the Central Tibetan Administration has called on the
Tibetan people to exercise utmost care and take preventive measures to
combat the disease, and not to discriminate those afflicted it.DHARAMSHALA: This year’s theme ‘Universal Access and
Human Rights’ underscored the right of every individual to get adequate
access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care.In his
statement, Health Kalon Chope Paljor Tsering expressed his “hope that
Tibetans in exile have greater awareness about the disease as a result
of free HIV detection tests and awareness campaign being conducted
across the Tibetan settlements in exile since 2008”. “We also hope that
the campaign has helped in creating knowledge about the availability of
medicines for HIV patients which control the disease from getting worse
and prolong longevity,” he added.He said 11,315 Tibetans in
exile (over 9% of total population) have undergone free HIV detection
tests.He said the Tibetan hospitals and health centers would
continue to conduct the tests, and appealed for more participation from
the general public.The
health Kalon said the “prevalence of HIV/AIDS among the Tibetan
community in exile is very low”. “Still, it is of paramount importance
that everyone, in the interest of both personal and other’s well being,
must be ever more vigilant in not yielding to negligence and
complacency,” he added.Emphasising His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s
concern and guidance on the importance of exercising caution and
getting medical test, the health kalon called on the Tibetan people to
avail themselves of preventive methods.”We must be compassionate
to those suffering from HIV and not discriminate or marginalise them.
The latter in turn should take care and responsibility so that other
people may not get the disease,” he said.In his message to the
Tibetan people living inside Tibet, health kalon said “the Chinese
government policies of forced strerilisation and influx of prostitutes
from China to Tibet pose danger of HIV/AIDS epidemic among the Tibetan
people”.”As part of our efforts to accomplish Tibet’s
fundamental goal, it is our inviolability duty of Tibetans in Diapora to
ensure that not a single Tibetan is afflicted with diseases like
HIV/AIDS,” he said.