SINGAPORE, June 3 (AFP) - More than 30 cyclists set out on a 900-kilometre (560 mile) fund-raising ride Monday to expose what they see as prejudice against AIDS victims in Singapore and to raise 100,000 Singapore dollars (55,555 US) towards their medical care.
Within three decades the city-state has made a dramatic leap from tropical backwater to an affluent nation with one of the highest living standards in Asia, but its social attitudes remained in the dark ages, organisers said.
"We are very much a First World country with a Third World mindset," said Benedict Jacob-Thambiah, an administrator with Action for Aids which is organising the fund-raising ride.
"HIV and AIDS should be treated just like any other chronic disease. They should not be stigmatised," he said.
Singapore did adopt a more sympathetic line towards AIDS sufferers last December following publicity surrounding the plight of a homeless man who died in the streets from AIDS.
The public reaction of how could a wealthy country let people die in such destitute surroundings led the health ministry to rule that nursing homes, hospices and community hospitals can admit AIDS patients.
It was also just six months ago that Singapore lifted a rule requiring people who die of AIDS to be buried or cremated within 24 hours.
The families now have three days to hold a funeral, but there are strict guidelines for the handling of AIDS-related deaths, including the use of bodybags for unembalmed corpses and sealed coffins.
Jacob-Thambiah acknowledged that the government has made an effort to raise public awareness of AIDS and HIV but they remained very much a social taboo subject.
"What it needs, is to be dealt with in an open manner. There needs to be more candid discussion about the topic," he said.
In February, more than 50,000 people signed a petition calling for AIDS-awareness education in secondary schools.
The chairman of Riding for Life 2001, George Bishop, said money raised on the seven-day ride will go towards alleviating the draining medical bills faced by Singaporeans diagnosed with AIDS.
"The money will go to the Action for AIDS medicine fund. The purpose of the ride and the medicine fund is to assist people with AIDS with their medical expenses."
A previous ride in 1999 raised slightly more than 40,000 dollars.
Singaporean AIDS workers look with envy at countries where AIDS-related medication is heavily subsidised,
An AIDS patient in Singapore spends on average 1,500 dollars a month on medication, but can only draw up to 500 dollars a month from the state-managed medical health fund.
"Hopefully the government will be more sympathetic to calls for subsidies," Bishop said
The Ministry of Health said its subsidy was for standard drugs for the treatment of "common ailments suffered by the majority" of the population.
"Non-standard drugs such as AIDS drugs are required only for a small segment of the population. As such, they do not satisfy the criteria used for admission into the standard drug list," the ministry said in an e-mailed reply to AFP questions.
The ministry said 1,362 Singaporeans were infected with HIV or AIDS at the end of last year, but Action for Aids puts the figure at nearer 4,000.
The 30 cyclists, including popular Singapore Mount Everest conquerer Khoo Swee Chiow, are to ride from Kota Bahru in northeast Malaysia to Singapore and expect to complete the 900 kilometres on June 10.
"One of the advantages of having this event is to show that there are citizens out there who still care and are willing to make an effort to help people with HIV and AIDS," said Jacob-Thambiah.
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