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To shed light on the matter Yabiladi.com spoke to Moulay Ahmed Derdari, the national coordinator of the Moroccan Association for the Fight against AIDS, and asked him about the rise of these numbers and the efforts conducted by the association to contain the flow of the virus.
What is the reason behind the increased number of women diagnosed with AIDS?
We at the Moroccan Association for Fight against AIDS rely on the statistics delivered by the Ministry of Health. The latter’s latest numbers suggest that 37% of the people diagnosed with AIDS are women. These women are mostly married and have caught the virus through their marriage.
However, the reason why numbers of women with the virus have increased is connected to their social, economic and legal status. Poverty and gender inequality are also behind women’s inability to protect themselves against AIDS.
Do you think that the current percentage would witness a change in the future?
We don’t want that to happen, that is why, we try to work in a parallel pace with the Ministry of Health. We aim to preserve women’s rights, protect them against violence and guarantee gender equality.
You have mentioned before that women diagnosed with AIDS caught the virus through unprotected sexual discourses with their husbands…
It is a big problem that many Arabic countries and Morocco witness. Women in our society are too weak to speak for their rights and ask for a safe and protected sexual discourse.
What are the efforts your association is making to fight against the disease?
We work on raising awareness amongst women collaborating with other associations. Our objective is to protect women against domestic violence in general.
Do you believe society has changed the idea it held against the virus bearers?
Society hasn’t changed yet the prejudices and degrading impressions it had about the virus bearers. Unfortunately these people are left with feelings of discrimination and stress. As members of The Moroccan Association for the Fight against AIDS, we try to change the situation of the virus bearers through our activities.
What is the category threatened the most by the virus?
Prostitutes and drug addicts are the ones threatened the most by the virus also men who make unprotected sexual acts.
Geographically speaking, what are the cities that are most attacked by AIDS?
The disease is mostly scattered in cities like Agadir, Marrakesh and Casablanca.
Is tourism a reason behind the transmission of the disease?
I don’t think so, tourists protect themselves Moroccans don’t and that’s what contributes in the transmission of the virus.
