Voices of hope: stories from communities affected by HIV and AIDS
Ordinary lives, extraordinary stories
WHO, in collaboration with the International HIV/AIDS Alliance and Christian Aid, presents photo stories of people living with HIV and AIDS in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
Chama's story
Speaking out against stigma
Aaron and Mavis' story
Abandoned generations of AIDS
Ivan's story
Preventing HIV among drug users
Emmanuel's story
Missed smiles and childhood
Patricia's story
Scaling up voluntary counselling and testing
Edith and Catherine's story
Faces of devastation
Fabiana's story
Prevention among transgender communities
Cynthia's story
Staying alive is a celebration
Rani's story
Providing care in the community
Nomalunga's story
Gift of life - Treatment access
Ricardo's story
Living with antiretroviral treatment
Charlie's story
Free access saves lives
Andrew's story
Living life and death of AIDS
The stories include powerful images by Don McCullin, one of the worlds' leading photo journalists, working in collaboration with Christian Aid; and Gideon Mendel, a well-known contemporary photo journalist, who documented community action on HIV and AIDS in collaboration with the International HIV/AIDS Alliance.
Don McCullin recorded the destruction of lives and families decimated by HIV /AIDS in South Africa and Zambia. Some images, however, deliver a message of hope, of lives regained thanks to access to HIV treatment.
Judith Melby, of Christian Aid, a leading UK charity advocating for more support on HIV/AIDS in developing countries, says "These photographs confront us with the hard reality, not only of the unfolding human tragedy, but of how governments have the power to tackle HIV/AIDS, and we appeal they do."
In the photos by Gideon Mendel, people living with HIV and AIDS show that they are not just victims of misfortune, but a key part of the response to stop the spread and devastation of HIV and AIDS.
"These stories are full of compassion and courage and explain why and how, ordinary people can make a difference. They show why more support needs to be channelled to community responses," says Alvaro Bermejo, Executive Director of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance. “They show people making a huge difference with very little support, and help us all understand what works in each community. They are the living proof that it can be done.”
WHO, together with its international and national partners is working towards universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment, care and prevention. "These photos show us the real faces of HIV, the devastation it causes, and the reason why global commitment and action should be sustained," said Dr Jim Kim, HIV/AIDS Director of WHO.
For more information, please contact:
Valeri Abramov
Communications Officer
WHO HIV/AIDS Programme
Telephone: +41 22 791 2543, Email: abramovv@who.int
Simon Moore
Head of Communications Team
International HIV/AIDS Alliance
Telephone +44 (0) 123 771 8744, Email: smoore@aidsalliance.org
Judith Melby
Christian Aid
Telephone: +44 (0) 207 523 2408, Email: jmelby@christian-aid.org.