AIDS hits women & girls hardest

AIDS fight toughest on women


The battle women and children are facing in the fight against HIV/AIDS hasn't improved since AIDS 2006 in Toronto, Canadian experts at the XVII International AIDS Conference say.

That's because many policy makers worldwide don't value women and children, Stephen Lewis, co-director of AIDS-Free World said yesterday at the opening of AIDS 2008.

"There has been a terrible toll taken on women and children in the world," he said.

"The struggle for the rights of women is a never ending struggle. Women's rights are human rights."

In Africa, 61% of the 22.5 million HIV/AIDS cases are women and 75% of those are girls and young women aged 15 to 24.
 

Date: Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Source: Calgary Sun (Alberta)

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