A photography exhibition portraying the inspirational stories of people living with HIV opened in Islamabad, Pakistan, on 7 September.

A Photo Story on People Living with HIV in Pakistan is a collection of 25 portraits of men and women living with HIV who have taken the decision to share their stories of HIV-related stigma with the public. It is the first exhibition in Pakistan to shine the spotlight on the resilience of people living with HIV. Each photo is accompanied by a short interview in which people express their challenges and concerns, but also their determination to bring about change and eliminate stigma and discrimination.

Nazir Masih, the Chief Executive Officer of the New Lights AIDS Control Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing treatment, care and support for people living with HIV, is one of the people portrayed in the exhibition. He said, “HIV is a problem of human beings and it is not an issue of any particular religion or nation. That is why hurdles and threats cannot deter me from the path of helping those in need and will not stop me, come what may, because this is what I have been made for.”

In Pakistan, it has often been difficult to disseminate key HIV information, owing to cultural and social barriers. The aim of this exhibition is to give a human face to the epidemic, with photographs that will have a lasting impact and can be shared on multiple platforms.

“We salute the courage and willingness of the men and women showcased in this exhibition to disclose their status in the hopes of transforming society,” said Steve Kraus, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific, who inaugurated the exhibition. “Let us embrace our brothers and sisters living with HIV. Only when we reach zero discrimination can we end the AIDS epidemic in Pakistan.”

Stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV remains a widespread challenge in Pakistan. The country’s People Living with HIV Stigma Index, conducted in 2010, revealed high levels of stigma and exclusion from families and religious activities and discrimination in employment. One third of respondents reported being denied access to health care in the previous 12 months.

Abdul Baseer Khan Achakzai, National Programme Manager, National AIDS Control Programme, said “The Government of Pakistan is committed to scaling up targeted interventions to prevent the rise in HIV prevalence among key and vulnerable populations and to fostering an organized national response to halt new HIV infections, improve the health and quality of life of people with and affected by HIV and initiate community-based HIV testing to bridge the gap between registered and estimated HIV cases.”

The exhibition was produced in collaboration with the National AIDS Control Programme of Pakistan, the United Nations Information Centre and UNAIDS.