30 November 2008

Bloggers Unite for World AIDS Day 2008

1 December is the 21st World AIDS Day. I am joining a ton of other bloggers again to unite for a common, awesome cause. Bloggers Unite for World AIDS Day 2008. After you read my post, check out the other bloggers writing on this cause to inform people.

Yet, this diseases is still spreading, still killing, still being ignored by so many who don't want to simply get tested.

And contrary to some opinions, the crisis is not overblown. There are still people contracting this disease that could be prevented. That simple fact makes it still a crisis. There are other humanitarian issues as well, but HIV/AIDS is a worldwide one that still needs to be addressed along with the flu and malaria and the various causes of diarrhea.

Worldwide there are 33 million people living with HIV. Here are some more statistics from NAT:
  • 30.8 million adults
  • 15.5 million women
  • 2.0 million children under the age of 15
And there are steadily more and more new cases of this disease being found (these are stats from 2007:
  • 2.7 million total new cases
  • 2.3 million adults
  • 370,000 children under the age of 15
Because of so many great treatments and even a new ray of hope just last month of a man who appears to have been cured of AIDS.

HIV-related deaths in 2007:
  • 2.0 million total deaths
According to Avert.org there have been 25 million people who have died of AIDS since 1981. There are 11.6 million AIDS orphans in Africa.

But this disease is mostly preventable. Be safe. Get tested.

One in 250 in the USA are carrying HIV, according to the CDC.

Young people under 25 account for 1/2 of all new HIV infections worldwide. That is insane. I know that there are a lot of other STDs going around in the young people I teach, but I'm not sure that they understand that this disease CAN affect them. I'm not sure that YOU know that it could affect you. I'm sure the students at St. Louis' Normandy High School thought they were immune to this disease, but they received a rude awakening earlier this fall.

President Bush has never gotten props from me, but he can get a slight tip of the mini-afro for his work on PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief - reauthorized just this past July). According to their site, this legislation is working in an effort
combat global HIV/AIDS [At $48 billion, it is] the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in human history. The new legislation will dramatically increase the financial commitment to this fight -- authorizing up to $48 billion to combat global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria... [It] will support treatment for at least 3 million people; prevention of 12 million new infections; and care for 12 million people, including 5 million orphans nad vulnerable children.
In developing and transitional countries, 9.7 million people are in immediate need of life-saving AIDS drugs; of these, only 2.99 million (31%) are receiving the drugs.

Give money and support organizations working to find a cure as well as organizations working to help those who are living with this HIV/AIDS.

It's as though we all hear this information so much, that it seems irrelevant to us.

Get tested. Care about those who are infected. Give money to those that are working toward a cure.

It's that simple, yet that complicated.

7 comments:

  1. A simple word webbing on very complicated and deadly issue. The wreath of the Aids, that you have garlanded is praise worthy. It is really sorry and awesome that more and more youths are being tested positive and carry the virus. In this way the spreading rate of the virus is rapid. Prevention is the best cure at this moment. Promiscuity of sexual behavior is okay as it is a proven fact but unprotected sexual ecstasy is inadvisable and we should prevent peoples near and dear to desist from contracting the disease.

    Thanks

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  2. thanks for the details. I agree with your Bush comments and there is a lot more to do throughout Africa on all kinds of diseases.

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  3. The statistics broken down like that really show what a pandemic this is!

    Thank you for taking the time to show them all.

    Thanks for the kind comment on my blog!

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  4. Great writing and you link to very interesting articles that I hadn't seen before -thanks!

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  5. Thanks all for stopping by and commenting.

    @ Sudam - If only we could get everyone to have safe sex.

    @ Torrence - Time sure does fly. Unfortunately a cure has not yet come.

    @ brett a -- Thanks. And I almost hate to admit that he did some good. And I totally think that more could be done on the continent as well as in parts of Asia to help with a lot of diseases.

    @ Peter P -- Your welcome for the comment. And thanks for yours.

    @ Tanya -- Thanks. I try to help people get informed.

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  6. Hello
    I just wanted to stop by and tell you thank you for expressing your heart and thought about World Aids Days. As I have read through your blog I am encouraged that I am not alone in this fight to help orphaned and abandoned children, the lost, the sick and the needy. so many times people ask how we can stop people from Getting HIV/AIDS and at times i believe it is just a symptom not the real sickness. Children growing up with a life of hate, anger, and so much more they are preyed upon and end up spreading a disease they themselves did not want or chose. i have rambled on and on but i just want to tell you how encouraged i am that you took time to write about this issue. Bless You. I am the Director of Public Relations for a non-profit organization called World Orphans. We build church based orphan homes all over the world and our mission is simple E3 to reach each church…each child…each community. I would love for you to take a look at our website and let me know if you have any questions. (www.worldorphans.com) thank you again for your heart and words that you have written. I hope you will have a glorious blessed day!
    Jenna M. Howard
    -Director of Public Relations
    www.Worldorphans.org
    Jennah@worldorphans.org
    www.JennaMarieHoward.com

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