World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day and the first one was held in 1988.
Globally it is estimated that 34 million are infected with HIV and just from the period of 1981 to 2007, an alarming 25 million have died from the virus making it known as the most destructive pandemics of all time. With the advancement in science and technology, new methods are being studied and developed to alleviate the different conditions of the disease. Furthermore, research is still ongoing so as to find a cure for the virus.
World AIDS Day is an opportunity for us to learn the facts about HIV and put our knowledge into action. We can use this knowledge to take care of your own health and the health of others and ensure the treatment of everyone living with HIV fairly, with respect and understanding. Living with a disease like AIDS is lifechanging. For anyone who is sexually active, it is important to use protection, to reduce the risk of an STD. HIV is no joke. The fact that it is as simple as visiting an albuquerque health clinic, or a clinic close to you, there is no reason to not get tested. Your health should be your top priority, as no one wants to live with something like HIV.
World AIDS Day is also a great opportunity to raise money and show our support for people living with HIV.
Today, and every day, 900 children are infected with HIV. That is 900 too many. Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation knows the number of new infections can be to zero and they’ve joined the global health community in setting a goal to do so by 2015.
Also, we know that 90% of child infections of HIV are passed on from mother to child – and 100% of those infections are preventable with care and treatment for the HIV-positive mother. Although World AIDS Day is a great opportunity to get the public talking about HIV and raising funds, we need to remember the importance of raising awareness of HIV all year round.
A donation of $30 can provide care and treatment to one mother, for one month. In honor of World AIDS Day today if we can give generously now to help these children and make a difference you can check here and show support.
This is a post for Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of members of Mom Bloggers for Social Good that concentrates on issues involving women and girls, children, world hunger and maternal health.
It’s amazing that so many people have died from this disease and we are still fighting it, all these years later. Let’s continue to spread the word.
Tawanna
– fellow Global Team of 200 member