TANZANIA: Clinton asks Zanzibaris to be more open about HIV/AIDS

ZANZIBAR, 22 July 2005 (PlusNews) - Former US President Bill Clinton was in Tanzania's island of Zanzibar on Thursday asking people there to break the silence on HIV/AIDS issues.

"My message to the people of Zanzibar is that they should accept to undergo voluntary HIV/AIDS tests to prevent new infections and make sure there is no discrimination and stigma to those living with HIV," Clinton said after visiting patients at an HIV/AIDS clinic in Zanzibar's main hospital called Mnazi Mmoja.

HIV/AIDS activists say that people in Zanzibar tend to be ashamed of discussing the disease openly. Health officials estimate that about 6,000 of Zanzibar's population of one million are HIV-positive.

Clinton is on the fourth leg of a six-nation Africa tour that has taken him to Mozambique, Lesotho and South Africa. He is due to visit Kenya on Friday and Rwanda the following day.