1 December is World AIDS Day, a global public health campaign dedicated to raising awareness of AIDS and HIV, and mourning the victims of the desease around the world.
On this day, Adamdar/CA features a graphic novella on living with HIV in Tajkistan and how an old law is being brought back to the forefront in the increased criminalization of HIV. The novella was created by artist Nicolas Journoud for UNDP Eurasia.
“This year, a woman in Tajikistan was sentenced to prison for infecting her child with HIV. Her conviction came from the revival of an old law that hadn’t been put into practice much. But with increased stigmatization and criminalization of HIV in Tajikistan, Article 125 has found its way into the courts again.
In Tajikistan, the complex history behind the rise of HIV rates, along with a vast lack of knowledge about its transmission and protection measures, contributes to a complicated landscape of perception and stigmatization.
To tell this story, we (the UNDP Eurasia communications team) chose to work with a graphic illustrator to capture the complexity, while protecting the identities of those whose stories we wanted to shared.
UNDP in Tajikistan works with the government to minimize the spread of HIV/AIDS, promoting safe lifestyle, providing therapy, and increasing awareness of the risks among vulnerable groups. By the end of 2020, UNDP aims to provide therapy to at least 90% of all people diagnosed with HIV,”
— Karen Cirillo, Digital Communications, UNDP Eurasia
