Having just commemorated World Aids Day 2016 I would like to say – focus on other things in life.
We have marked World Aids Day for the past eight years and have to strongly encourage our young people to make a choice that focuses on the other things in life.
I support the zero campaign which is the backbone of the South African Aids Day Campaign – zero stigma, zero discrimination, zero Aids-related deaths and most importantly zero new infections.
Zero new infections are especially important for me as a dad of a teenager.
I have to encourage her to focus on the other things in life – like excelling at school, participating in activities that she enjoys and realizing her decisions will affect her destiny.
For her and other young people to take on the challenge of zero new infections, adjust your attitude and be friendly before being familiar.
Zero discrimination and zero stigma is in line with the international campaign of “Not Retro Just Wrong”.
It is a more progressive approach to challenge stigma and discrimination and calling for a complete attitude change from all of us.
The campaign in essence confirms that some things of the past are worth reviving but that HIV stigma is definitely not.
