Haiti urged the international community to promote inclusive treatment for AIDS patients in the Caribbean, mainly among the immigrants.

During the 19th International Conference on HIV-AIDS, running in Washington, Sophia Martelly said that support to the patients constitutes an inalienable human right.

The Haitian First Lady, who leads her countrys  delegation to the meeting, highlighted the importance of coordinating policies among states in the area to promote the struggle against AIDS.

She said it is necessary to establish effective and efficient relations in order to form a strategic regional framework to respond to the HIV, according to the presidential information service.

AIDS is a major killer in Haiti, where more than 200,000 people are infected, according to figures from the Health Ministry.

The figures indicate that the child mortality rate is on the rise in Haiti as a result of the number of minors infected.

At least 25,000 children have lost their parents because of the illness that affects at least two percent of the population.

The start of sexual activity in Haiti occurs around the eight years of age, and more than half of the countrys 10 million inhabitants are under 30.

Many Haitians, mainly among the five million living in rural areas, think that several illnesses, including AIDS, are caused by magic and not by microbes; therefore, they seldom go to the doctor.

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