December 1st is World Aids Day! BlogCatalog has joined with the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of HIV/AIDS Policy for Bloggers Unite for World Aid's Day. You can access resources to learn more by clicking on the links.
1981 was the year we first began to hear about cases of AIDS. I was working as a nurse and there was so much misinformation and fear associated with it. It reminded me of things I'd read about leprosy in the Bible, where people were quarantined and isolated from others. A terrible stigma accompanied that label.
At first, the disease was associated with drug addicts, not everyday people we'd come in contact with. But then I heard the story of Elizabeth Glaser, the wife of actor Paul Glaser of Starsky and Hutch. She had contracted the disease from a blood transfusion during childbirth; an innocent victim. She put a face to this dreadful disease.
Much more research was needed to try to understand ways to treat and hopefully prevent this disease.
Do you know the global facts?
- 33.2 million people now live with HIV or AIDS.
- In 2007, approximately 2.5 million people were infected with HIV.
- Every day, over 6800 people become infected with HIV - almost five people per minute.
- 5700 people die from AIDS every day.
- One child dies every minute.
- 15 million children around the world have been orphaned by AIDS, losing one or both parents to the disease.
- Every fifteen seconds, another person age 15-24 becomes infected with HIV/AIDS.
World AIDS Day began in 1988 when health ministers from around the world met and agreed to establish this day to provide an opportunity for people to come together to raise awareness of AIDS and show solidarity for the cause. The theme for 2008 World AIDS Day is leadership.
World Vision is an organization that works to help children, families, and communities tackle the problems of poverty and injustice. However, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has jeopordized much of their relief and development work. Sick parents can't work or grow food and children often leave school to care for them and to work.
World Vision began a program called the Hope Initiative, which is focused on:
- Prevention of the disease, with education particularly aimed at children 5 to 15
- Care for people infected and affected by AIDS, especially orphans and vulnerable children
- Advocay on behalf of those affected by AIDS
So, what can you do on World AIDS Day?
- If you're a blogger, you can join in, grab a badge and add your own post to raise awareness.
- You can sponsor a Hope child through World Vision; a child that has been impacted personally.
Even though this is a huge problem, we can each do our part to get the word out and help in even small ways. I've sponsored a child through World Vision for many years and ...it's such a blessing to participate.
Debbie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your heart of compassion and understanding on this devastating disease.
((hugs)) to you!
Debbie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this. I wasn't aware of this important day until I saw it on your blog. And because of you, I was inspired to post the message on both my BIKE blog and also my travel blog. I even managed to upload the badges--a new skill I learned--all because of your willingness to spread the word to help save lives.
Thank you,
Jackie
I'm new here, what a great blog :) ♥ Hugs!
ReplyDeleteI have many friends from Disneyland that have died of Aids. Sad. We too sponsor a child. It is a blessing to help in this way.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing!
Thank you for your sweet and timely encouragement too. : )
Thank you for the awareness, I will be praying for all of those suffering with this disease. Real early in my career I had a patient tell me to put on gloves because he was full of Kaposie's sarcoma from the AIDS virus--I can still see him today, that was 16 years ago.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this. I'd seen reference to this day on Facebook but didn't know much about it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing awareness to this.
ReplyDeleteWhat a compassionate and informative post. Thank you so much for bringing attention to this!
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