Moroccan artists sign Artists' AIDS Pact

03/12/2008

The Moroccan government is taking steps to encourage Moroccan artists to incorporate the fight against AIDS in their work.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 03/12/08

[Sarah Touahri] Secretary-General Ahmed Guitaa of the Moroccan Culture Ministry (right) said the government will provide support to any artist who participates in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The Moroccan Ministry of Health called on all artists to help raise public awareness about AIDS, in an effort to curb the spread of the disease. A large number of artists signed the "Artists' AIDS Pact" on World AIDS Day (December 1st).

The signatories to the pact pledged to raise awareness of AIDS and to contribute through individual and joint efforts in the fight against the disease. They vowed to help fight discrimination against and the stigmatisation of those living with HIV, and to include the issue of AIDS into various cultural events.

Composer and actor Younes Megri said that artists can play a key role in helping the public understand the problem and prevent the spread of the disease. "Artists can reach out to people and help get the message across," he stated.

Ahmed Guitaa, Secretary-General of the Moroccan Culture Ministry, stressed the need to help those living with AIDS to reintegrate into society through cultural programmes and media campaigns. He added that the ministry would provide access to venues and logistical support to artists who incorporate the fight against AIDS in their work.

On her end, Health Minister Yasmina Baddou said that her department wants to develop and implement a new national public communications strategy.

Furthermore, the government is stepping up efforts to decentralise care for HIV-positive people. Regional plans to fight the disease will soon be in place in five priority regions: Souss-Massa-Draa, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, Greater Casablanca, Tadla-Azilal and Tangier-Tetouan. "We need to be more vigilant, especially since we are seeing higher rates of infection in some regions among certain groups with a greater risk of infection," Baddou commented.

She added that significant funds have been allocated for expanding mobile testing. The ministry is currently setting aside 13m dirhams per year for the purchase of medicine and equipment under the national AIDS plan.

Although the HIV incidence rate is low in Morocco, with no more than 0.08% of the population affected (2,798 cases of AIDS), officials are taking steps to stop the disease in its tracks.

The national AIDS programme has already reached 750,000 people, a large number of them women and children, out of a target audience of one million to be achieved by 2012. It has also permitted the testing of 43,000 people and the treatment of 2,000 others living with HIV out of the 4,500 targeted. The plan also includes psychological and social support for people living with HIV and is aimed at capacity building, expanding public-private partnership, overhauling the national co-ordinating committee and providing support to regional cross-sector AIDS committees.