14 April 2004 UNIC/PRESS RELEASE/104-2004 |
FROM
THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL
"By
the time this test match finishes, nearly 4,000 people will have been infected
with HIV in South Asia. For every
over you bowl today, 10 people will have been infected with the virus.
As
cricketers, you can win the hearts of your people.
As
role models, you can encourage young people to protect themselves, and urge your
leaders to pay more attention to the epidemic.
And by
wearing the red ribbon, you show that you care deeply about AIDS and about
people living with HIV/AIDS, and so help to remove stigma and discrimination, a
major obstacle in the fight against the epidemic.
I
congratulate you and the cricket boards of India and Pakistan, together with the
International Cricket Council, on their decision to highlight the AIDS crisis
during this historic tour. AIDS is a
common enemy that both India and Pakistan have to fight together."
***