Moscow. (RIA Novosti commentator Olga Sobolevskaya)
Hollywood actress, producer and public figure Julia Ormond has arrived in Russia as a goodwill ambassador of the United Nations. The star of "The Barber of Siberia", "Sabrina", "Legends of the Fall", "First Knight", and "Stalin" has joined the efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in Russia, following in Richard Gere's footsteps.
During her visit to Russia Julia Ormond will meet with politicians, journalists, officials, and people living with HIV. Owing to her unstinting devotion to anti-AIDS efforts, Julia Ormond is doing a great deal to alert the public to the dangers of the disease, and mobilize public leaders in Russia and the United States for the struggle against it, said John E. Tedstrom, President of the Russian-American public organization TransAtlantic Partners Against AIDS (TPAA). Julia Ormond has pledged to support this organization.
In the past she campaigned against human trade and famine in Africa, met refugees and people whose civil rights had been violated in Afghanistan, the Balkans, and East Africa.
At an informal party on September 20 in her honor, Julia Ormond emphasized that Russia was capable of controlling the situation and halting the epidemic, but efforts had to be made across the board. People must be informed about the simple measures that can be taken to prevent infection. Misinformation about the HIV, as well as the stigma attached to it and discrimination against the victims are huge problems, which we must resolve in our efforts to curb the epidemic, she said.
Chairman of the British Parliament's inter-party working group on AIDS Neil Gerard, who has come to Moscow, spoke much in the same vein. He said that it was possible to ban discrimination of people with HIV/AIDS by law, but this would not put an end to the stigma carried by the disease, which is a big problem in Britain as well. Many people are afraid to admit that they are HIV-positive even to their family. Immigrant workers infected by the virus are particularly vulnerable, he said.
Deputy chairman of the inter-factional deputies' working group on AIDS Mikhail Grishankov said at a meeting with Julia Ormond: "On President Putin's instructions 100 million dollars will be earmarked for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in 2006. This figure will be doubled to 200 million dollars in 2007." He mentioned another "important decision made by the President", namely his support for the idea to discuss this problem at a session of the State Council Presidium next October. Niel Gerrard said that both measures testified to the "high level of political involvement" in the drive against AIDS in Russia. He thinks that the issue should also be addressed at the G-8 level.
Today Russia has over 320,000 officially registered HIV cases but experts put the real figure between 700,000 and 1.5 million. Up to 80% of victims are injection drug users but the epidemic is moving beyond high-risk groups, and the virus is increasingly spread through sexual contacts. People under 30 account for more than 80% of all registered HIV cases. The ratio of infected women is going up.
