Independent Publishes HIV/AIDS-Related Articles in Partnership With Product RED
London's Independent on Thursday published several HIV/AIDS-related articles as part of its partnership with Product RED. The newspaper in May announced that it would become the first media outlet to sign on as a partner in the project, which was launched in January by Irish musician Bono to donate a portion of profits from a range of branded products to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 5/16). Summaries of the articles appear below.
- "From Dawn to Dusk, the Daily Struggle of Africa's Women": The Independent examined women in Africa, who make up 57% of HIV-positive people on the continent. According to the Independent, an HIV-positive woman in Africa is almost 10 times as likely to experience domestic violence as an HIV-negative woman (Vallely, Independent, 9/21).
- "Sign Up for the (Red) Campaign and Save Lives": The results of the RED campaign, launched six months ago, have been "tangible," according to the Independent. RED CEO Bobby Shriver said the campaign already has raised $10 million. Global Fund Executive Director Richard Feachem said, "In only a few months, RED has doubled the amount of money coming into the Global Fund from corporate sources" (Caesar, Independent, 9/21).
- "The Battle Against AIDS in Africa": Actress Ashley Judd, who is an ambassador for YouthAIDS, describes her visit to Madagascar, where "the proportion of the population [with HIV] is still fairly low -- 1.1% -- but the epidemic is accelerating and stigma is extreme." According to Judd, it is difficult in Madagascar to find HIV-positive people who will say they have the virus, and the "layers of cultural beliefs and practices, stigma and religion are huge obstacles to educating and protecting public health" (Judd, Independent, 9/21).