“One of the most important steps to take against AIDS is to create public awareness” – First Lady

First Lady Madam Ilham Hussain has said that one of the most important steps to take against AIDS was to create public awareness about the deadly virus, and that it was the social responsibility of the government, NGOs and each individual member of the society. She made this remark while speaking at the closing ceremony of the “Awareness Session on HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse”, a one day workshop organised by the National Drug Agency.

Noting that a cure for AIDS had not yet been found, the First Lady appealed to all participants of the workshop to continue to go forward in the fight against AIDS.

In her speech, the First Lady said that the issues of AIDS and drug abuse were the biggest concerns of the nation today; ones that needed immediate solutions. She also noted that today, the youth of the country was falling prey to many dangerous habits that lead to the transfer of AIDS, especially the use drug injection in recreational drug use - the leading cause for the spread of AIDS in the Maldives.