The members of the Council of National Commission for Combating HIV/AIDS in Timor-Leste (CNCS-TL) and civil society groups will meet to the discuss the strategy to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS.
CNCS-TL President Fernando Lasama de Araujo said while much work on the subject had been done already, more was needed to tackle a problem that is a concern for all of society.
“I hope every part of society will be active in this because it is not a single person’s problem but a national problem,” said Lasama after a meeting of the executive council of the commission at Government Palace.
The Deputy Prime Minister encouraged journalists to cover the HIV/AIDS problem to inform the public of the issue so a solution could be found.
Executive Secretary of CNCS-TL Daniel Marçal said the commission would begin a HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in March.
Marcal said the commission needed legislative backing in order to carry out its work.
“The commission was established not to block other NGOs’ programs but to coordinate all activities in the sector, including those by NGOs that so far have run preventative education campaigns to disseminate more information to the community,” said Marçal.
At the same place, the Minster of Health (MH), Sergio da Costa Lobo, said the ministry had run some preventative education programs however had struggled with financial and staffing constraints.
MH Lobo said the government had established a HIV/AIDS clinic, however people were reluctant to attend for testing out of fear of a positive diagnosis.
The commission involves many institutions such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of State Administration, the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Secretary of State for Equality Promotion, the Secretary of State for Youth and Sport, the Secretary of State for Vocational Training Policy and Employment, the Defense Force of Timor-Leste, the National Police of Timor-Leste as well as members of the private sector and civil society.
