IN her letter (South China Morning Post, October 26) on the Third Asia-Pacific International Conference on AIDS, held in Chiang Mai, Dr Rosalind Foy outlined the great threat of HIV/AIDS to the Hong Kong community despite the relatively low reported infection figure we currently have, and highlighted the importance of commitment by all sectors to the AIDS campaign.
This is an important message, as HIV/AIDS affects everybody in a community and its devastating impact cannot be contained or reduced without a concerted effort by all. Besides, we must not be deceived by the relatively low rate of infection we have at the moment.
If we look at the 20 to 25 per cent increase in the number of the cumulative infection figure annually, the one in 10 ratio of reported to unreported cases, and the explosive situation of many other countries in the region, we know in no way we can be complacent.
I am, however, puzzled by Dr Foy's remark that 'the Government and high-profile organisations like the Hong Kong AIDS Foundation (HKAF) are more interested in self-promotion than in learning from and sharing experiences with other neighbouring countries', in the conference.
To support her remark she quoted from the script of presentation at the conference the sentence 'it was not until 1991, the year when the HKAF was founded, that the need to promote social acceptance for people with HIV/AIDS was fully recognised'. I said that when I was explaining the change in the government approach to publicity on AIDS, from one of scaring tactics to one of allaying unnecessary fears. Being an organisation which adopted, from day one, care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS as the main theme of our publicity campaign, our foundation did contribute to this change.
Besides, in my presentation I highlighted the lack of progress in involving the business sector despite our many efforts, though I also mentioned new hopes. I do not therefore see how my presentation could become evidence for our indulgence in 'self-promotion'.