Singapore Health Ministry Seeks Collaboration With Private Companies To Fight HIV/AIDS, Reduce Stigma
Singapore Senior Health Minister Balaji Sadasivan on Thursday proposed a partnership between the Ministry of Health and private companies in the city state to fight HIV/AIDS and reduce stigma associated with the disease, AFP/Yahoo! News reports. Addressing the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, Sadasivan said that companies should develop HIV/AIDS education programs and antidiscrimination policies for employees to encourage early treatment and allow for continued productivity. He added that Singapore's public HIV/AIDS campaign will focus on preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission and encouraging HIV-positive people to inform their spouses of their status. The campaign will not include a condom promotion component, according to Sadasivan. An estimated 4,000 to 5,000 HIV-positive people live in Singapore and a record 311 new cases were reported in 2004, Sadasivan said (AFP/Yahoo! News, 8/25).
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