World AIDS Day 2007

Since its inception in 1998, World AIDS Day has fought strongly to gain awareness, support and money to promote its campaign to educate the masses about the impact of AIDS and to rally against the prejudices and injustices those living with AIDS still face today. With the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimating that almost 40 million people live with HIV in the world today and, add to that, the 4 million who were infected with HIV just last year, the coordinators of World AIDS Day have their work cut out for them. For just one day, World AIDS Day 2007 will be here reminding the world that HIV is not a disease that can be swept under the rug and forgotten.

Each year’s World AIDS Day has a theme and this year is no exception. The 2007 theme is leadership. This year’s AIDS Day is a call for everyone from all walks of life to rise up to the challenge of leading others in the quest for stop the epidemic. This year’s theme is a response to those who feel that only an organization as large and widespread as the government can make any impact on the AIDS situation. Being a leader does not involve securing a political position. We can be leaders by demanding that a discussion be held in our communities, in our churches, in our own family units.

The international charity, Avert, is also promoting a parallel campaign called Stop AIDS in Children. UNAIDS reports show that close to 2.3 million children around the world are inflicted with this devastating virus. The Stop AIDS in Children campaign focuses on preventing mothers from transmitting the virus to their unborn children. Drugs are available to help prevent this from happening; however, to date, less than 10% of pregnant women have access to them. Because of this, every year, over half a million babies are born with HIV when it could have been easily prevented. This campaign is urging leaders in government to provide adequate access to these drugs for pregnant women who are infected with the virus. 

Saturday, December 1st, 2007 is World AIDS Day. Across the world, conferences are scheduled and multi-faith services are being coordinated to reflect on the AIDS epidemic. Instead of ignoring the day and letting it come and go without a thought, what will you do to bring awareness to those in your community? Here are a few things you can do on World AIDS Day:

• You may have seen many celebrities and politicians wearing a red ribbon. This is the symbol for AIDS awareness. Visit your local craft store and buy red ribbon and safety pins to create your own AIDS awareness ribbons. Sell them for a dollar each and send the money you raise to an AIDS foundation of your choice.
• If you are a student, speak with your dean or principal about organizing a poster or flyer-making campaign to increase awareness across campus.
• Get online and school yourself on AIDS facts and statistics. Then create an open forum whether it is at your work, your school or your home, to speak about AIDS awareness. Have a question and answer session to get others to learn as much as they can about the AIDS epidemic in our world today.
• Be Smart, be safe and always practice safe sex.