World Aids Day

WORLD AIDS DAY

Stop AIDS-Keep the Promise – Leadership
(1 st December 2007)

Dr T.V Rao, M D

The humanity continues to respond to the universal call “World AIDS Day” on 1st of December every year. Its wakes up everyone that HIV has not gone away and yet so much to be done. UNAIDS estimates there are 39.5 million people living with HIV including 2.3 million children. During 2006 some 4.3 million people became newly infected with virus. Majority are infected before they are 25 and many will die before they are 35 years. Today HIV pandemic is a threat to social progress. Individual loses in particular to developing countries as around 95% of the people with AIDS/HIV live in developing world. The health infrastructure is inadequate to cope up with the problem unlike developed countries.

Among the developing world HIV in India is a complex problem as we have a huge population of 1.1 billion people attributing to 1/6th of world population. And best estimates focus we will have one of every eight people with HIV infected globally.

Majority believe it is not possible to control the overall HIV epidemic if the perception of prevention are not practiced without taboos and social customs; and empowering the sex education among the youth.
Our Indian statistics on figures of HIV/AIDS are less precise and subject to controversies. In 2006 UN AIDS estimated that number of infected person range from 3.4 million to 9.4 million. The range of incidence is wide, as estimations for India is based primarily on anonymous testing data from public clinics for prenatal care, and for patients in high risk groups or with sexually transmitted infections, India’s problem is that patients chose various systems of medicine and majority attend private practioners who are not liable for reporting to Government agencies.

The AIDS day was initiated in 1988 with a slogan of “Communication”. After 19 years we have marched with a slogan “Stop AIDS- keep the promises- leadership”. The theme will focus on role of Government policy makers and regional health authorities. So we demand the Governmental/National authorities to provide universal access to HIV treatment, care, support, services atleast by 2010.

In 2007 we hope to bring more participation of families, communities and society who will be empowered with leadership. With Governmental support, we will continue our emphasis with landmark slogan as stop AIDS in children so that every pregnant women must be targeted for education, counselling and voluntary screening for HIV infection. All infected pregnant women must have access for anti retroviral drug for preventing mother to child transmission.

Be a Leader and Contribute your best

1. AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease, say yes to sex education.
2. Raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in younger generation.
3. IF you are Medical/Paramedical practioners, create awareness on importance of HIV testing and motivate your patients for testing.
4. Propagate the positive living to those who are already infected.
5. Be a part of the society, on social acceptance of HIV/AIDS infected adults/children.
6. Even though you are helpless accept every HIV/AIDS patient as a co-human and give a helping hand.
7. Create equal opportunities for HIV positive individuals.

The slogan of 2007 ‘Stop AIDS’, - Keep the promise-leadership will empower the people with future slogan

“ WE HAVE A RIGHT TO LIVE WITH AIDS.”