World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day, marking the 21st annual event created to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.  This year, the theme of World AIDS Day is Universal Access and Human Rights.  UNAIDS, the branch of the United Nations dealing with the AIDS issue, has an excellent interactive map concerning the status of universal access throughout the world.  Check it out here.

With the recent news of a HIV vaccine offering promising results and new HIV infections down 17 percent over an eight year period, we may be tempted to think HIV and AIDS are not issues about which should cause us concern.  But the truth is, HIV/AIDS is still a global concern. 

Did you know that in 2008, there was more than 33 million people worldwide living with HIV?  Of those 33 million, just over two million were children under the age of fifteen.  More than two million people died from HIV-related causes in 2008.  What is sad is that, unlike many other diseases and physical ailments, HIV/AIDS is preventable.  Many people throughout the world, however, lack accurate information about how the disease is spread.  In addition, the stigma associated with the disease prevents many people from seeking testing and medical services; specifically in many African communities, the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS is so severe that individuals refuse to enter an AIDS clinic, even if testing is free, because of the negative reactions they will encounter in their community if seen entering an AIDS clinic.  While there are new HIV/AIDS intervention programs developing all the time, it is important to realize the importance of cultural competency when designing and implementing these programs in the diverse cultures across the globe.

If you want to learn more about the history of the AIDS pandemic, I suggest reading Randy Shilts' book, And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic.  Shilts' well-researched book details the AIDS pandemic from the beginning to 1987, when the book was published.  HBO produced a movie based on Shilts' book; this film is incredibly moving.  The movie was produced in the early 1990s- a time when AIDS was still a extremely controversial issue.  However, HBO was able to create a masterful documentary, and several famous actors and entertainers, including Steve Martin, Anjelica Houston, Richard Gere, Phil Collins, and Alan Alda signed on for roles in the film.  At the end of the movie, there is a photo montage depicting several individuals and families who have been affected by HIV/AIDS, many of them losing their lives to the disease.  You might be surprised to see some of the famous faces in this short montage.