The World Bank has launched a competitive Development Marketplace to identify and fund innovative approaches to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS in the South Asia regions.
The World Bank launched the programme in association with United Nations and private sector partners. The programme would include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
A press release issued by World Bank said the marketplace competition is titled as 'Tackling HIV and AIDS Stigma and Discrimination: From Insights to Action,' that is reaching out to communities across South Asia seeking proposals for local, small-scale projects with the potential to be scaled up and replicated.
According to the press release, the winners will be selected by an international jury of World Bank and independent HIV and AIDS experts at the Development Marketplace event on May 15, 2008 in Mumbai, India.
"Many of the people most at risk for HIV around the world deal with stigma on a regular basis, posing challenges to achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support," the release quoted UNAIDS Executive Director Dr. Peter Piot as saying.
In South Asia, anecdotal evidence and research are demonstrating the extent of the role of stigma in hampering prevention, treatment, and care of HIV and AIDS. For instance, a study in India found that 34 percent of students, faculty, and technical staff of the public health services would not associate with people living with HIV and AIDS, according to the release.
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