KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 -- AIDS activist Dr Zaiton Yahaya received the Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF) Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Award for her contributions towards ending AIDS as a public health concern in Malaysia.
The award was presented by Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali during the MAF-Berjaya Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Award Gala Dinner here, tonight.
Dr Zaiton, 56, who is a family medicine specialist at the Sandakan Health Clinic and founder of the Sabah AIDS Awareness Group Association received a trophy and a cash prize of RM20,000.
When met after the event, Dr Zaiton said she began her activities in AIDS in 2008 after noticing that there were still a lot of people in Sabah who were still naive about AIDS and HIV.
“Some of them (public) are still ignorant and prejudiced about the disease. (Even those infected) are also afraid to go out for screening or treatment.
“This is where we need to create awareness among the public and reach out to them,” she said.
Established in 1996 by MAF, the Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Award is a ‘thank you’ note to organisations and individuals for their exemplary courage, commitment and dedication to create a sustainable impact on communities most affected by HIV and AIDS.
-- BERNAMA
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