U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Says Peace Corps Volunteers Can Help Fight AIDS by Dispelling Myths
U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Roger Meece on Friday during the swearing-in ceremony of 15 Peace Corps volunteers in Lilongwe, Malawi, said that the volunteers could "greatly contribute" to curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS by helping to dispel misconceptions about the disease, Chronicle/AllAfrica.com reports. Meece said that HIV/AIDS is "killing too many Malawians," adding that "it is critical to bring down the infection rate and get this problem under control. It can be done." He added, "To control HIV/AIDS, it is important for people to overcome stigma, to understand how the disease is spread, the critical importance of abstinence and faithfulness in a relationship and the use of condoms." Meece called on the Peace Corps volunteers to be "role models" in the Malawian communities where they will serve, adding, "[Y]our influence on your friends to practice safe behavior can help keep them HIV-negative and that's a very important role for you all to play." Peace Corps volunteers have been placed in Malawi since 1963 (Jimu, Chronicle/AllAfrica.com, 5/5).
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