The first of December each year marks World AIDS Day – a day to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and to promote measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
Here in Ranong, we normally mark this day by participating in a parade headed by the Government as a campaign for HIV/AIDS awareness. The parade didn’t quite happen this year, so MMR decided to mark the day internally, with an awareness seminar for Marist Training Programme (MTP) and older Child Protection (CP) students. As the incidence of HIV/AIDS among the Burmese migrant community in Ranong is very high, this was a particularly topical and educational seminar for students.
The seminar was conducted by members of the health team. They began by discussing with students the difference between the HIV virus, which is communicable, and the AIDS syndrome, which is non-communicable. The seminar helped the students to understand what HIV/AIDS is, so that they may be able to help those who are victims of the virus in their own communities and neighbourhoods – as well as avoiding it themselves in the future.