The stigma over Aids is the biggest obstacle in diagnosing and treating patients in Asia, but Hong Kong is among a regional group that’s stepping up efforts to combat the disease
A child visits a Treat Asia network clinic in Kuala Lumpur. (photo: SCMP)
HIV/AIDS was presented in positive fashion in Hong Kong last week, thanks to celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow and Michelle Yeoh, in town to attend a fundraising gala dinner by amfAR, the Foundation for Aids Research.
But on the whole, the disease is still a taboo subject in Hong Kong and the region. The stigma attached to it is still the biggest obstacle in diagnosing and treating patients, and preventing the disease from spreading.