World AIDS Day
November 28th, 2008
December 1st marks every year the World AIDS Day, an event of a major importance that brings in the attention of the community and especially decision makers, significant issues related to this disease's evolution in the various regions of the World.
The statistics provided by the United Nations National Bureau for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) state that currently, worldwide, live approximately 33,2 million HIV infected people, out of which 2,5 million are children. Only in 2007 had been registered over 2,5 million new cases, most of them coming from states in progress of development.
The threat of HIV/AIDS targets equally women and men, adults and children. There's no spared country or continent. All equally pay a tribute to the terrible disease.
The celebration of the World AIDS Day had started 20 years ago, every year brings a plus as regards the funds collection, community's involvement and responsibility, discrimination's limitation and fight and preventive education of the population.Moreover, every year comes with a different theme, considered to be defining for the programs aimed to improve the control of HIV/AIDS.
Therefore, in 2007 the worldwide communities had been encouraged to overtake the initiative of the campaigns designed for stopping the HIV, campaigns that materialized as forms of marches, discussions and public debates, events of sensitize the population and decision makers on HIV/AIDS and also in open letters to political leaders.
For the campaigns of the 2008 the core concept was and is leadership. Promoted together with the December 1st campaign's slogan "Stop AIDS. Keep your promises!",the message targets the political factors and communities that can significantly contribute to ensuring an equal and nondiscriminatory access to prevention, treatment and support for all the HIV/AIDS people.
A major desire, included in the Millennium's Development Objective, the universal access can only be ensured by taking responsibilities by the decisions makers, being well-known the striking difference of some political statements and engagements and the objective reality.
The Leadership facilitates anyone's access, either is about individuals, organizations or governments, to initiate and support an efficient answer against a major threat: HIV's expansion and losing control.In the same time, the year 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of the World AIDS Day, a reason to sum up and prioritize the following interventions.
For sure, the registered progresses are major and impressive, but there are still problems that need solutions:
- in 2007 only 31% of the people who need retroviral treatment come from countries in progress of development and actually had access to this treatment;
- financing the prevention and support programs out of the internal funds continue to face difficulties in some countries, mostly in the ones in progress of development;
- the HIV infection rate remains 2,7 times higher than the number of people who receive specific treatment;
- a quarter of the countries affected by this disease do not have a legislation for incriminating the HIV infected people' discrimination, etc.
Also the campaigns of 2008 encourage the more and more significant involvement of the infected people's, especially youngsters, communities. Their voices are acquiring a higher importance, fighting for eliminating the discrimination, social and professional integration of those living with HIV.
In Romania this anniversary is the occasion of big manifestations organized in Iasi by "Close to You" Foundation, United Nations National Bureau for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the over 88 partners, both NGOs and public and private institutions, etc.
In one word, all those who wanted to be with this occasion close to the seropositive people from all over the world, ensuring their support.Organized under the slogan "Open your heart! I am the same as you!", the manifestations will be hosted this year by Iasi city, on the esplanade near the Medicine University.
All those present will take their hands and souls to make the Red Ribbon, the symbol of fighting AIDS.More information on the manifestations organized in Iasi by the "Close to You" Foundation and its partners can be found by accessing www.alaturidevoi.ro or out of the Press release that the organizers published for the public.
