Red Ribbon Gala on Friday

KUALA LUMPUR: After a year ’s hiatus due to Covid-19, Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF) returns with its Red Ribbon Gala to be held this Friday.

The event, to be held at Hilton Kuala Lumpur, aims to highlight the urgency of increasing HIV treatment access to achieve the goal of ending AIDS.

In view of the current Covid-19 situation, especially with the emergence of Omicron variant, the event will observe strict health and safety protocols.

MAF chairman Professor Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman said the proceeds from the gala would go towards MAF’s Medicine Assistance Scheme, an initiative to help underprivileged Malaysians living with HIV gain access to antiretroviral treatment.

With 40 years of history, she said that ending AIDS was no longer a dream due to the advent of antiretroviral treatment, which had enabled people living with HIV to effectively lead normal lives and prevent transmission.

“However, much like the Covid-19 pandemic, socioeconomic disparities negatively impact access to healthcare and treatment, continuing to put the underserved, underprivileged and marginalised at risk.

“Efforts and resources to place access to antiretroviral treatment at the heart of our ending AIDS mission are critical. As such, we are renewing our commitment to ensure that these medicines will reach as many Malaysians living with HIV as possible,” she said during a press conference via Zoom yesterday.

Sunway Berhad is the event’s Official Sustainability Partner while the MS New Symphony Exercise Clinic is the Official Changemaker Partner.

The Sunway-MAF Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Award will also be presented in recognition of unsung heroes, who demonstrate exceptional leadership and resilience in their work to support communities impacted by HIV-AIDS.