Preity raises awareness on World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day, and Bollywood actress and UNAIDS goodwill ambassador Preity Zinta is not staying idle or shooting films. In face, she is doing all she could to stop the spread of the pandemic by creating awareness.

“On World Aids Day, I want to appeal to you all today not to fear HIV. Just be safe, use protection and do not stigmatize people living with HIV," Preity wrote on her Twitter page.

The actress is particularly upset on the transmission of HIV from mother to children, as she thinks it could be stopped. “Mother-2-child transmission of HIV really upsets me. We should be able to protect every child from HIV! Less ignorance & more awareness is needed!," she said.

The actress also went on to say that AIDS is treatable and that over three lakh Indians are receiving free treatment. She pleaded the public not to discriminate the HIV patients.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, or UNAIDS reported that about 33.3 million people were infected with HIV, including 2.5 million children, in 2009. The UN also reported that India has about 2.3 million people infected with HIV.