The price of an HIV/AIDS story

A Zimbabwe AIDS NGO on Monday blamed the government for raising desperation to a new level among people living with HIV/AIDS (PWAs). The Network for HIV Positive Women in Zimbabwe (NZPW+) said PWAs were now demanding significant amounts of money in return for press interviews. "The government's failure to sensitise the public against HIV/AIDS has placed many PWAs in this desperate situation," NZPW+ national project coordinator, Angeline Chiwatani, told the UN news service PlusNews. Chiwatani said many PWAs had found themselves out of work because of discrimination and considered any interview a way to feed their families. "Some of these people also expect compensation upfront in the event of being misquoted or for fear of being named by the media," Chiwatani added.