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Sharmila becomes Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF

Staff Reporter

The role entails special focus on HIV/AIDS and its impact on children

NEW DELHI: Central Board of Film Certification chairperson Sharmila Tagore took on a new assignment on Thursday. Celebrating her birthday here with a group of "very special children," she signed on the dotted line to become goodwill ambassador for UNICEF India with special focus on HIV/AIDS and its impact on children.

Latest commitment

With her latest commitment to children, Sharmila joins a long list of celebrities including Audrey Hepburn, Amitabh Bachchan and Harry Belafonte who have lent their time and name for a social cause.

UNICEF has more than 100 celebrities in film, music, sports and literature around the world working as its ambassadors.

India today has an estimated 2,20,000 children living with HIV/AIDS and between 55,000 and 60,000 children are infected via parent-to-child transmission each year.

"Sharmila like all our UNICEF ambassadors was chosen based on her compassion, her involvement in global issues, her commitment to helping children and her popularity across India," said Executive Director, UNICEF (India), Ann M. Veneman.

`A great honour'

Sharmila said that to be recognised as part of the UNICEF mission was a great honour and a huge responsibility: "I am ready for both. Children are at risk everywhere. I have worked with UNICEF in their polio programme and it was heart wrenching to see how parents resisted giving their children polio drops not because they want their children to die but because of ignorance and fear. I think we were able to make a difference in some difficult areas.

Wreaks havoc

"Similarly ... it is time we recognise the potential of AIDS to wreak havoc on childhood. Children get infected, lose a parent or often both parents. We need to assure our children that they are not alone and that we are doing whatever needs to be done."

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