AIDS in Ireland - AIDS needs more notice in Ireland

WITH one person a day now being infected by HIV, Ireland cannot afford to be complacent about the spread of AIDS.

However, this country stands accused of adopting a contradictory approach to one of the biggest health crises facing mankind.

On one side of the coin, concerned groups claim the Government is not doing enough to halt and reverse the spread of AIDS. On the other, however, the authorities are rightly praised for backing the campaign to stamp out the stigma attached to AIDS.

The absence of a co-ordinated prevention campaign and the lack of funding for AIDS education means

Ireland is unlikely to reach a target for reversing the spread of the virus by 2015.

With the number of newly-diagnosed HIV infections up by 15% last year over the same period in 2005, the two-part Irish Examiner investigative series, which starts today, underscores the importance of removing the myths and discrimination surrounding HIV and AIDS.