World AIDS Day, which was first observed in 1988, occurs on December 1 every year. World AIDS Day is devoted to promoting consciousness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of the HIV virus and honouring those who have lost their lives to the disease. One of the most significant global public health concerns in recorded history, AIDS has caused an estimated 40 million deaths worldwide since 1981 and is responsible for at least 37 million people living with HIV. Over 250,000 of these deaths are children, and despite recent advancements in diagnosis, the AIDS epidemic even now claims an estimated 2 million lives annually.
World Aids Day – History
World AIDS Day was established in 1998 as well as noted on December 1 of that year. That was the first moment a health day had ever been observed internationally. It is a chance for people all over the world to unite in the struggle against the illness, show their support for those who are HIV-positive, and pay tribute to those who have passed away as a result of it. In order to capitalise on a media lull between the 1988 U.S. presidential elections and Christmas, the concept of observing World AIDS Day was developed. Over a year of electoral campaigns, broadcast journalist James Bunn thought that viewers would be interested in hearing about AIDS on television. Bunn had recently accepted a position at the World Health Organization.
In order to raise awareness among the age demographic about the effects of AIDS on their livelihoods and those of their families, the very first World AIDS Day theme focused on children and youth. The fact that AIDS did not just affect stereotyped groups like drug users was also made clear. The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS assumed control of World AIDS Day observance starting in 1996, turning it into an annual campaign for education and prevention. In 2004, The World AIDS Campaign obtained nonprofit status in the Netherlands.
Why is World AIDS Day important?
HIV/AIDS affects everyone
Some people criticised World AIDS Day in its early years for emphasising children and adolescents, but its organisers aimed to reduce stigmatisation of the illnesses as largely affecting gay men and increase awareness of it as a family condition. Globally, HIV/AIDS is the top cause of death for women who are fertile, and in 2016, 43% of the 1.8 million new infections with HIV were infected women.
Increasing treatment access for all
According to research, discrimination in access to quality care for LGBT and sex workers is becoming more prevalent globally. Less than half of those with HIV/AIDS have direct exposure to antiretroviral treatment globally, despite the first decline in global AIDS funding in 2015. To permanently halt the spread of this disease, it is more crucial than ever to bring attention to the disparities in treatment.
Achieving zero
Zero infection Rates, zero AIDS-related diseases resulting in fatalities, and zero unequal treatment have been the multi-year themes for World AIDS Day since 2012. It appears that the high-profile AIDS-related lives lost of male celebrities like Freddie Mercury, Robert Mapplethorpe, as well as Rock Hudson, have sustained obscure challenges of new rates of infection among women in the public fiction. In 2016, there were 44% more reported cases among young women aged 15 to 24 than there were among some men in the same age group. In order to dispel these myths and safeguard everyone, World AIDS Day was created.
Facts about AIDS you should know about:
Chimps are the source of HIV: The viruses that infected chimpanzees and monkeys gave rise to the human immunodeficiency virus.
You don’t necessarily feel ill: HIV can infect someone for years without causing any symptoms, and it is feasible to be contaminated for ten years while experiencing no symptoms at all. HIV can still be transmitted during this time.
Many people are unaware they possess it: One in five people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are unaware they have the viral infection.
More minorities contract the disease: Minority groups are most likely to experience new HIV infections; this is a result of a number of factors, including stigma, low levels of education, as well as poverty.
Children are equally at risk: Worldwide, 3.3 million children were HIV positive as of the end of 2011.
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