World Aids Day Message
Message from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary for the National League for Democracy (Burma) and 1991 Nobel Peace Laureate To Mark World Aids Day 1998, December 1st
The control of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus is about the control of our future. So many of our people in Burma, especially the young, are vulnerable because of the poor quality of our health care and social services, and because the authorities are not prepared to recognize the enormity of the problem and to come to grips with it.
International agencies and NGOs fear that HIV infection in Burma is spreading at an alarming rate. We need effective education programmes and services now. Unless we act urgently, HIV infection could reach epidemic proportions in our country and become a major threat to our social stability and economic potential.
Poor countries struggling to achieve sustainable human development cannot afford to underestimate the importance of proper AIDS education and care. The battle against AIDS is not merely a health issue, it is a battle against ignorance, poverty, indifference, prejudice and callousness. We need to educate whole societies, not only that we may be able to control the spread of the HIV infection but also that those who have already contracted the virus may be treated with understanding and compassion. It is a sad irony that often those societies where there is most need for such care and education are precisely those that lack the social, political and financial framework within which necessary programmes can be implemented. This is why the whole international community , rich nations as well as poor, need to join together to cope with the problems related to HIV infection.
While we cannot overestimate the value of education programmes for the prevention and care of AIDS, on this World AIDS Day, I would like to make a special appeal to the rich nations of the world to commit more of their resources towards research on finding a cure for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Please do not think of working towards a cure for HIV as a "poor country problem" but as a human concern. The gift of health and life is the greatest gift that we can give to our fellow men.
I would like to conclude with a message for those who are already suffering from AIDS. Please do not despair. There are many in the world who feel with you and respect you for your courage and fortitude. For those who are caring for AIDS sufferers, I would simply like to express my deep admiration. My heart goes out to both sufferers and carers in warm sympathy.
Aung San Suu Kyi Rangoon, November 1998
