Ricky to host AIDS documentary

International superstar Ricky Martin will host a half an hour documentary on AIDS.

Staying Alive 2, will be premiered on Music Television (MTV) today, December 1, World AIDS Day.

It will be premiered in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the US, encompassing 326 million households in 139 countries. The special programme is being offered free of cost to all broadcasters worldwide in 11 languages.

The programme, produced by MTV Europe in association with UNAIDS and the World Bank, follows the tradition of the 1998 Emmy Award-winning Staying Alive hosted by George Michael. It profiles six young people from the world infected with HIV or AIDS.

Martin, who visited India some months ago, was featured as the singer of the month on the B4U Music Channel in India and was extensively interviewed by video jockey Sanjit in connection with his album She Bangs.

''AIDS continues to be a serious issue, and there is still a lot of work to be done to raise awareness around the world,'' says the Latino dynamo.

He added that this documentary would hopefully inspire people to take precautions as well as show compassion towards those affected by AIDS.

Shot on location this summer in Africa, Southeast Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, the Caribbean and North America, the documentary highlights the horrendous effects of the killer disease, including infection, persecution and isolation, besides the need to foster awareness and the lack of access to affordable drugs.

According to UNAIDS, more than 50 per cent of the new HIV infections are among young people in the 15-24 age group.

UNI