Sir Roger Moore Takes on HIV/AIDS Stigma and Discrimination at UNICEF Press Conference in Beijing - Official press release
Beijing 12th Aug, 2004. The schools and hotels that turned away these orphans should hang their heads in shame, Sir Roger Moore told more than 100 international and national journalists assembled for Wednesday morning's UNICEF Press Conference. He told of how 40 local schools and hotels in Beijing had refused to host a Summer Camp event for children orphaned by AIDS. "They seem to have believed", said Sir Roger, "that these healthy young children might scare off other guests".
Sitting alongside fellow actor and national AIDS Ambassador Pu Cunxin, Sir Roger proposed that those who think they may be infected with HIV should not have to worry about being ostracised by society. People, he said, should be able to go and be tested for HIV safe in the knowledge that they will lose neither their jobs nor their friends.
The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador then commended the Chinese Government for its recent efforts to battle HIV/AIDS throughout China. The Five Commitments endorsed by the Chinese Government to promote treatment, awareness, anti-discrimination, honesty and international co-operation are a positive step in the right direction, he said. The Chinese Government, he continued, are wise. For unlike many other countries, they have recognized the dangers of HIV and AIDS at an early stage. Thanks to their foresight, he said, it is still possible for China to stop AIDS from spreading further. However, he added, the fight to overcome HIV/AIDS remains an uphill battle, and if we are to be successful in this fight to save the lives of millions, everybody must work together, and we must do so now.
UNICEF-China Representative, Dr. Christian Voumard developed this idea further. China, he said, has a great opportunity now that AIDS has been recognized by the Government. HIV/AIDS, he continued, is still primarily a problem amongst specific social groups such as drug users, sex workers and certain blood donors. If we therefore intend to make the world a better place for our children, he added, we must mobilise immediately, before the epidemic begins to infect the general population.
Sir Roger went on to place a particular emphasis on education. We need to correct the misconceptions that people have about HIV/AIDS. HIV can be passed on through sexual intercourse, needle sharing and breastfeeding, but it cannot be contracted by touching, holding hands, sharing food or kissing. It is these misconceptions, he said, that lead to discrimination. And it is discrimination, he added, that leads to the dissemination of this lethal virus. National HIV/AIDS Ambassador Pu Cunxin also placed his faith in education, but warned that we have a hard challenge ahead of us because we have to promote AIDS awareness among a huge population. However, he added, I dream that AIDS patients will soon be given the same degree of respect as other types of patient.
Sir Roger Moore also felt very strongly about the need to protect those who have either been infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. One day, he said, I hope that there will be no need to protect the safety of people affected by HIV/AIDS. But for now, we have an obligation to protect the innocent from the ignorant.
Sir Roger spoke with authority and candour. When asked whether he wanted to take on AIDS in the same way as he had taken on villains in his James Bond days, his answer came back: I'm afraid that this AIDS tragedy is not a movie. When I used to play 007, everybody knew that I would save the world before the film had even been made. But with AIDS, there is no guarantee of a happy ending, for the outcome is still to be decided, adding with a laconic smile: if only life were as simple as the movies.
This Press Conference, which has been widely covered both in China and abroad, effectively wraps up Sir Roger's visit to China, with a trip to the Great Wall to look forward to on Wednesday, followed by his departure on Thursday morning.
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