Andrea Downer, Gleaner Writer
Miriam Maluwa, UNAIDS Country Representative to Jamaica, The Bahamas and Cuba. - Winston Sill/
Freelance Photographer
Miriam Maluwa's voice resonated with purpose and steely determina-tion as she spoke about her approach to her job and her role in the universal fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
She could be described as a diminutive figure, but Mrs. Maluwa's sense of purpose and her firm commitment to the advancement of human rights, lift her above the limitations of physical dimensions and into the realm of those who challenge the status quo and dare to make a difference.
As the UNAIDS Country Representative for Jamaica, The Bahamas and Cuba, Mrs. Maluwa has a gruelling almost non-stop schedule, and she constantly demands the ultimate of herself. Her job takes her to different countries on a regular basis and whether she is bundled up against biting cold or elegantly dressed for a day at the office, the signature red that signals the commitment to stop the spread of HIV is usually part of her outfit. Mrs. Maluwa explained with a smile that she does not always deliberately incorporate the colour into her understated professional look.
"I take it as a personal failure if I learn that
a person has (become) infected with HIV. I take it as a personal failure, if I learn that somebody has died of HIV, in the situation that exists today where we have treatment that people can access."
