Our colleague, Djurica Stankov, an activist who fought for the rights of people living with HIV for decades, died at the age of 49. LGBT organisation “Da se zna” announced it on their Instagram account on Tuesday 26 March 2024. Stankov himself lived with HIV infection for more than 20 years.
– If I were now 19 years old, as I am HIV positive, after all that I have experienced, even though it sounds like a joke, if God came and gave me the possibility of having HIV or some other disease, I would choose HIV without thinking. You can live with this disease quite normally.
Djurica was the head of the AS Centre, an association that brings together HIV-positive people and provides them with much-needed support. The association had young people as its focus. He was also chairman of the Association of Patient Organisations of Serbia.
We had very good cooperation working together in the National Commission for Fighting HIV and Tuberculosis.
May he rest in peace.