Launch of the Campaign" We Are All Positive" in Celeberation of World AIDS Day

       The media campaign "we are all positive" was launched yesterday. Organized by the Forearms of Change Center to Enable Community (FOCCEC) and its NGO partners, the campaign is part of the event for celebrating World AIDS Day. On the behalf of Dr. Firas Al-Hawari, the Minister of Health (MoH), Dr. Riyad Al-Shayab, executive assistant of the MoH, attended the campaign and delivered a speech. He said that the world has been facing HIV/AIDS for 40 years and seeking to limit its spread and mitigate its detrimental effects on individuals and communities. Jordan has not spared any effort to fight the virus since the first case was recorded in 1986 when the national HIV/ AIDS program was established in the nation. Abdallah Hanatleh, the general director of FOCCEC, said that the launch of this campaign comes within the center's vision which is to highlight the struggles of people living with HIV and key populations, remove structural barriers to their access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, and end the inequality in the enjoyment of their rights. Hanatleh confirmed that the media campaign was inspired by stories of real people living with HIV (PLHIV). He believes that PLHIV are entitled to live a normal life free of stigma and discrimination. He continued that this campaign is also a part of the regional "Nadoum" project that aims to sustain the delivery of SRHR services to fight against HIV/AIDS. Dr. Musa Al-Ajlouni held a panel discussion. Dr. Teser Krishan, a parliament member, Dr. Mohammed Al-Hawarat, director of the Communicable Diseases department at MoH, Dr. Alaa Sheikha, a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Heba Abaza who works at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and Dr. Yousef Alqaoud who works at the Emphnet Foundation, participated in the panel. The discussion was focused on multi-sectoral partnerships in the health field and people’s rights to work and healthy lifestyles.