Annually, December 1st of every year is set aside globally as the World AIDS Day in order to increase awareness, mobilize support for the cause, and to remember those who have lost their lives to the disease. World AIDS Day which was started in 1988 has been also providing a timely and major impetus to the global solidarity in the battle against HIV/AIDS. On this day, the civilization is also informed of the daily cohorts of HIV/AIDS and mobilized to continue the fight against the disease.
The Origins of World AIDS Day
The first World AIDS Day was held in 1988; this planning resulted from recommendations made by James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter, WHO Global Programme on AIDS employees. The idea behind Bunn and Netter’s was to inspire a day that would let people know about HIV/AIDS and what needed to be done to prevent it. Their proposal was backed up by Dr. Jonathan Mann, the director of the Global Programme on AIDS and thus the creation of “WORLD AIDS DAY”.
Why World AIDS Day is Important
There are several very important objectives that are served by the annual celebration of the World AIDS Day. First of all, it creates the public awareness about current activity of HIV/AIDS still present in the world, and the necessity of further prevention, treatment, and research. Secondly, it creates unity with affected and infected people with the HIV/AIDS disease, as people persecute those who are sick with the virus. Lastly, it paying tribute to those people who died from AIDS related diseases.
Raising Awareness
Even today, there are promising victories over HIV/AIDS, people still need awareness and education about the vital issues. World AIDS Day offer an opportunity to share knowledge with other people about the topics concerning HIV and AIDS transmission, prevention, and treatment. The day is focused on raising awareness about the disease which can in turn help to intervene myths about the disease and prevent risky behaviours that can spread HIV.
Promoting Solidarity
The day is to create awareness among people. It is a day to support, listen, and care for that someone who struggles with the virus. Stigma and discrimination remain significant barriers for those affected by HIV, often hindering their access to healthcare, employment, and social acceptance. As reiterated by the participation of all persons in the occasions recognising the day, World AIDS Day is aimed at dismantling such a barrier.
Commemorating Lives Lost
The day also sorts to recall the lost souls as a result of AIDS related diseases. From the time the epidemic started, more than 36 million people have been killed by the disease. Specifically, people celebrate World AIDS Day in order to remember those who have died as a result of the disease and to honour the efforts made by them to fight the virus.
Themes and Campaigns
Subsequently, World AIDS Day is accompanied by a theme for the year that defines the vision of promotion efforts. These areas encompass every part of the HIV/AIDS response including prevention interventions, care, support as well as human right issues. The following are some of the previous themes: Global Solidarity, Shared Responsibility, Communities Make the Difference and Know Your Status.
Global and Local Observance
This event targets health education about the AIDS, risk reduction, and the support and treatment programs through events, activities, and programs provided by governments, NGOs, healthcare institutions, and different community groups at the national and international level. Such activities involve creating awareness about HIV/AIDS, educating people on the disease, and most importantly involving support for the people with the disease.
Global Events
On the World AIDS Day worldwide activities are launched, there are speeches, concerts and campaigns in the air media. Other organizations including UNAIDS and WHO are responsible for the organization of such crusade so that World AIDS Day is recognized all over the world. Major landmarks and buildings around the world are often illuminated in red, the symbolic colour of HIV awareness, to show solidarity with those living with the disease.
Local Initiatives
World AIDS day is observed in different ways at local level through various events and activities. Some of the activities may be in form of educational workshops, HIV testing, awareness campaigns such as vigils and awareness walks. Local NGOs and community groups are mainly responsible for the mobilization of resources as well as increasing awareness. These are critical in that they reach out to people who may have little or no access to information and services.
Achievements and Challenges
About from the first World AIDS Day in 1988 much had already been done in the combat of the HIV/AIDS. In recent years medical scientists have developed adequate antiretroviral therapy (ART) to reduce the viral replication and prevent transmission. Access to ART has improved dramatically, saving millions of lives and transforming HIV from a fatal disease to a manageable chronic condition.
Key Achievements
- Increased Awareness and Education: World AIDS Day has played a crucial role in raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, reducing stigma, and promoting safer behaviors. Public education campaigns have helped dispel myths and misinformation, encouraging people to get tested and seek treatment.
- Access to Treatment: The availability of ART has increased tremendously, and millions of people are being treated for their illness. This has led to low rates of death from AIDS and also an increase in the Life expectancies of those affected with HIV.
- Prevention Strategies: Effective prevention strategies, including condom distribution, needle exchange programs, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), have been implemented to reduce the risk of HIV transmission. Some of these measures have helped in a way to reduce incidence of new HIV infections in many areas.
On-going Challenges
However, the battle against HIV/AIDS continues to pose many challenges as will be illustrated by the following factors. Some of the key challenges include:
- Stigma and Discrimination: The fight against HIV/AIDS is hampered by factors such as stigma and discrimination. PLWH (People Living with HIV) are usually denied their civil liberties: social isolation, denial of necessary medical treatment, lack of adequate jobs, and human rights abuses. Combating stigma should not be an option to make certain that every person receives the required level of service and assistance.
- Access to Healthcare: Even though there are already many people with access to ARTs, health care remains out of reach for many, especially in Low and Middle Income Companies. Controlling the spread of HIV and AIDS and making certain that everyone in the globe, irrespective of his or her station in life, can gain access to an HIV test, treatment and care remains one of the biggest challenges today.
- Funding and Resources: There’s constantly the need to secure adequate funding to ensure efficient fight against HIV/AIDS which requires consistent, reliable support. This makes funding a difficult endeavour in the fight against HIV/AIDS because economic issues, other diseases, and donor burnout add up to the problem.
- Emerging Health Threats: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of healthcare systems and the importance of integrating HIV/AIDS services with broader health initiatives. The task is to be able to respond to these and other new and re-emerging health threats that coexist with HIV/AIDS in a way that sustains long-term health security.
Call to Action
World AIDS Day brings people together highlighting that the battle can only be won if people act together.
- Get Tested: Understand your HIV status, so that you may effectively get treatment and avoid spreading the virus. Persuade friends and relatives to take a test and get checked often.
- Support Those Living with HIV: Get on board the fight against HIV by supporting those affected, trying to decrease stigma and fighting for their equal rights.
- Volunteer and Donate: Help those that can be of great assistance to other formations engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS through volunteering or by donation. We may afford a chance to offer basic services, or support to those most in need with your contributions.
- Spread Awareness: Let people know about HIV/AIDS through use of social demographics, blog sites and forums. Inform, educate, demystify, and activate prevention and therapeutic activities.
- Advocate for Policy Change: Speak out on behalf of human rights of AIDS patients and recommend for policies that protect AIDS patients. Speak with policy makers and encourage their actions that encourage people to go get medical care and decrease the stigmatization of mental disorders.
Understanding HIV/AIDS: An Overview
HIV/AIDS is of the most premier health threat to human life around the world and has impacted on the lives of millions of people. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus: a virus that attacks the Immune System which makes it very difficult for the body to fight off diseases. AIDS is the final stage of HIV, when one’s immune system is profoundly weakened and they have certain opportunistic diseases.
The Basics of HIV
- Acute HIV Infection: This is the first clinical stage of HIV and develops within 2-4 weeks of infection with the virus. The symptoms are very similar to flu that means high temperatures, swollen glands, sore throat, rash, muscle pains, and headache. A very highly transmissible virus is formed during the this part of the process.
- Chronic HIV Infection: it has a characteristic to last for a longer period of time that may be upto several years. It is asymptomatic infection. It can also continue to reproduce at fairly low levels, often without producing symptoms in the people infected. However, when left untreated, HIV will in any case develop into AIDS.
- AIDS: AIDS is the last stage of HIV where one is receptive to opportunistic infections and cancers due to the decay of CD4 cells to the lowest level. At this stage, the immune system is weakened and all sorts of dangerous illnesses can become fatal.
Transmission and Prevention
HIV is mainly transmitted to people through some body fluids of an infected person. They include blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, and breast milk, among others or any bodily fluids that may have come into contact with blood during an accident. The ways through which the virus spreads include unprotected sexual contact; sharing needles or syringes; and from mother to the baby at the time of birth or during breastfeeding.
Preventive measures include:
- Safe Sexual Practices: If condoms are used and used effectively at the time of sexual contact, it can greatly reduce the chance of HIV transmission. Post exposure prophylaxis is also important in the prevention of HIV among people with high risk genetic profile.
- Needle Exchange Programs: Carrying out needle exchange program so that people who inject themselves with drugs may receive clean needles and syringes will reduce spread of HIV through sharing needles.
- Testing and Treatment: Prevention of transmission and effective management of HIV requires routine assessment for HIV and the use of ART soon after diagnosis. ART decreases the amount of virus in a person’s system, minimizing chances of passing it to other people.
- Mother-to-Child Transmission Prevention: Disease prevention for pregnant moms with HIV involves taking ART to minimize the risk of passing it to the baby before, during, or after delivery and while breastfeeding.
Treatment and Management
There is no treatment for HIV, however ART provides good control of the disease and delays the transformation of the patient into an AIDS status. ART is the process of consuming a set of HIV related drugs every single day to help in reducing the viral load and build up the immunity. When properly cared for, people with HIV can live long and healthy lives and will not be able to pass the virus to others.
Global Response to HIV/AIDS
The global response to HIV/AIDS has relatively moved from one phase to another. Donors, governments, and community partners have come together with unitary purposes of enhancing awareness, access to treatment and testing services as well as combating prejudice. Some of these are the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which seek to eliminate AIDS by 2030 and the Global Fund which seeks to award grants for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria eradication.
However, there are barriers which need to be surmounted to make HIV prevention. Discrimination and prejudice influence the fight against the epidemic, and poor access to medical care remains a problem in developing countries.