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British RoyalsThe Sussexes

Prince Harry calls for public discussion about AIDS

Prince Harry is following in his mother’s footsteps as he urges communities to talk about AIDS. Prince Harry is in Amsterdam for the 2018 AIDS summit. He joined advocates from his charity Sentebale to discuss the issues faced by teenagers who have HIV or AIDS.

Prince Harry said: “It is about being able to normalise the conversation around HIV because it is a virus you can live with now, which is different to many many years ago.

“In order to normalise it those communities who have never had an HIV problem, need to start talking about it.”

“We have to put the power into the hands of the younger generations because that’s where the solutions are going to come from, and that’s where engagement is coming from.

“There is a generational gap in pretty much every problem that we have at the moment. The younger generation not only have the solutions but have the capability to be able to solve these problems in a shorter period.”

“It has to be part of policy change.”

Prince Harry has been a committed HIV/AIDS campaigner, and he even publicly tested for the virus a number of times. The cause was close to his mother’s heart. Diana, Princess of Wales, opened the UK’s first purpose-built HIV/AIDS unit at London Middlesex Hospital in April 1987, where she famously shook hands with a man suffering from HIV or AIDS. Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale focuses on supporting young people with HIV in Lesotho and Botswana.

Linda-Gail Bekker, president of the International AIDS Society and AIDS 2018 co-chair, said, “His genuine commitment to the fight against AIDS is inspiring a whole new generation of leaders and reminding the world that AIDS is not over.

“We are so grateful to him for his leadership in the HIV response and the strong collaboration between Sentebale and the International AIDS Society.”