Collection for AIDS
Palmerston North will be holding its first street collection on Wednesday for the New Zealand AIDS Foundation.
Manawatu¯ Lesbian and
Gay Rights Associates (MalGRA) president Andrew Leipst and PNCC councillor Lorna Johnson are leading the volunteers who will be out in the CBD from 10am5pm next week.
The collectors will start in George St and move across the Square to the Plaza at midday.
Lorna says they will be identified by their red sashes, and those who donate will receive a red ribbon.
“I’m getting involved because as a leader in the community I want to make sure everyone is welcomed and feels included in our city, and I’m hopeful that we can achieve the goal of ending new transmissions of HIV in Aotearoa by 2025.
“As well as fundraising to support people living with HIV, the aim is to break down HIV stigma and some of the misconceptions around HIV transmission, as well as encouraging testing.”
December 1 is World AIDS Day and the clock tower in the Square will be lit red to mark the day.
NZAF says HIV treatments have come a long way over the last 30 years, “but unfortunately, sometimes it seems that attitudes in New Zealand have not”.
The organisation said people living with HIV still have to deal with outdated perceptions from people who haven’t caught up with the developments in HIV treatments.
■ NZAF: 2018: 42 per cent of New Zealanders aren’t comfortable having their food prepared by someone living with HIV. ■ The first drop in the number of new HIV transmissions in Aotearoa since 2011 was recorded in 2017.