Shakib appointed Bangladesh’s Think Wise spokesperson for HIV/AIDS awareness
By ANITuesday, November 30, 2010
DHAKA - Bangladeshi cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan has been announced the Think Wise campaign spokesperson for his country by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The campaign aims at raising awareness about HIV and AIDS in order to make a positive impact on the lives of young people across the world and helps to prevent new HIV infections.
The announcement was made at a press briefing on Monday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the presence of ICC, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), UNICEF and UNAIDS officials.
Following the announcement, Hasan said that he was privileged to be a part of the Think Wise campaign.I have always had a desire to support and assist social causes because as a sportsperson I know how far-reaching an impact we can make in addressing key issues like HIV and AIDS, especially in developing countries like Bangladesh,” he added.
He further stated that the lack of awareness and general ignorance in South Asia makes the region more vulnerable to HIV and AIDS, compared to other parts of the world.
“Because of the presence of HIV and AIDS in every continent, the game of cricket can be a very powerful force against social stigma, ignorance and discrimination - factors that contribute to increased vulnerability to HIV infection. The victims are usually very young. Today, I am joining the fight to save generations by inspiring them to think wise and to take the right decision,” Shakib said.
Think Wise campaign is a joint venture of the ICC, the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), UNICEF and the Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI), which has reached out to the cricketing community to work together in responding to the global AIDS crisis for over seven years now.
The partnership seeks to educate cricket players, coaches, commentators, broadcasters, volunteers and spectators about the AIDS epidemic, particularly about the prevention and stigma associated with the disease, as around 10 million people living with HIV are from Test-playing nations. This number accounts for over a quarter of all the people across the world that are HIV-positive and a sizeable portion of these people live in South Asia. (ANI)
