Emma Thompson

Emma Thompson says that many are suffering form the stigma of HIV/Aids.

In a HARDtalk interview on 29 December, Lyse Doucet talks to actress Emma Thompson about her work with the charity Action Aid.

The Oscar winning actress Emma Thompson, known to audiences for her performances from films like "Howard's End" and "Love Actually", is representing the British charity Action Aid as an ambassador.

Talking to Lyse Doucet about her campaign for action on HIV/Aids, she told HARDtalk, "this is the biggest global emergency that we've probably ever faced - the biggest plague since the Mediaeval plague. I think our response to it has been pitiful. It's time for us all to become active because we're looking at the death of a continent".

Stigma

Having travelled to Mozambique this summer, and Uganda the previous year, she said she felt continually humbled by the enormity of the problem the people were facing, and that one of the great problems of this disease is the stigma it brings:

"One of the things we take for granted is the ability to feed our children. It must be one of the greatest pains not knowing if you will be able even to put food on the table for them. I met a lot of people in that situation. I feel immensely privileged meeting these people".

One of the things we take for granted is the ability to feed our children Emma Thompson

She told Lyse Doucet that most of the front line people in the battle against Aids are women, and that she'd met some wonderful women doing wonderful work.

"It is estimated that £10 billion a year is needed to control the disease. I don't think any western leader is focused enough on it. It's not a lot of money compared with what we spend on war".

HARDtalk can be seen on BBC World at 04:30 GMT, 11:30 GMT, 15:30 GMT, 19:30 GMT and 00:30 GMT

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