22-year-old organisation recognised for fighting disease, discrimination

EFFORTS by Action for Aids (AfA) to help HIV-positive and Aids patients here fight both the disease and discrimination have paid off in a big way.

The non-governmental organisation was awarded the prestigious Dr Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva yesterday.

The award is given out in recognition of outstanding contributions in the areas of research, prevention, treatment and control of communicable diseases. It was established in 2008 by the South Korean government to honour the late Dr Lee, former director-general of WHO and a prominent public health and HIV/Aids advocate. He died in 2006 following a sudden illness.

In accepting the award, which comprises a plaque and a cheque for US$85,000 (S$119,000), AfA founder and president Roy Chan paid tribute to the support and generosity of individuals, businesses and organisations in the last 22 years.

Said Professor Chan: “We are now also receiving significant support and recognition from the Singapore Government. None of our achievements would have been possible if not for the dedication and effort of volunteers, many of whom were and are HIV-positive.

“Our volunteer board has provided guidance and direction, and our tireless staff and volunteers have laboured to transform that into action,” he said.

The Ministry of Health, which had nominated AfA for the award, said that “AfA has made outstanding contributions in the areas of HIV/Aids education, care and advocacy in Singapore, and is a key partner of the ministry in our various HIV/Aids control efforts”.

The award is the first honour the organisation has received since it started in 1988 in response to the development of acquired immune deficiency syndrome and the first report of a case in Singapore two years earlier.

AfA has since been providing support and help to those living with the human immunodeficiency virus and Aids, increasing awareness and understanding of the infection, fighting against discrimination and stigmatisation, and pushing for research.

It operates an anonymous HIV-testing facility, manages its own Medication Assistance Programme and Pregnant Mothers Fund, and coordinates support groups to help infected persons who are hospitalised or at home, as well as their families.

As a registered charity with only nine full-time staff, its various support, welfare and educational programmes are managed mainly by a group of over 200 volunteers and largely funded through donations.

Prof Chan, a specialist in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and current director of the National Skin Centre, said such an award would draw attention to the many challenges that lie ahead.

Since 1988, the number of HIV-infected Singaporeans has grown to 4,404 as of the end of last year – with 463 people diagnosed with the disease last year.

Said Prof Chan: “New challenges are still coming thick and fast. For one thing, there is always more that we must do to encourage people to go for early testing.

“We need to understand the barriers to testing and help modify or remove them.” Prof Chan, who treated the first Singaporean with Aids more than 20 years ago, was himself internationally recognised for his work with the disease.

Last year, he became the first Singaporean to be conferred the Queen Elizabeth II gold medal by the Royal Society for Public Health in London for his outstanding contribution towards public health and health promotion within the Commonwealth.