Government official commits to HIV test

In an effort to eradicate the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS, an Ethiopian government official on Monday committed himself to being publicly tested for HIV. "HIV/AIDS-related stigma builds upon, and reinforces, earlier negative thinking in many societies," head of Ethiopia's HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office, Negatu Mereke, told the UN news service PlusNews. Mereke's announcement follows an appeal by Irish musician and activist Bob Geldof for the country's leaders to be tested as proof of their commitment to tackling the pandemic. "It is important that people have a test. If I start, I think my colleagues will follow. It will send a message to people and show that I am committed and others should follow," Mereke said. Geldof's appeal came at the end of an official five-day visit to the country, his first since the "Live AID" concert in 1985 which raised money for the victims of famine.