Celebrating World AIDS Day

By Adam Valvasori - Values Manager

Image via the Burnet Institute's World AIDS Day Photographic Exhibition which focuses on their work in Mozambique.

Today is World AIDS Day. HIV and AIDS doesn't directly affect me and it probably doesn't affect you either. However, if you care about human life you have to be concerned about this global epidemic. I'm really glad I went to the Burnet Institute's World AIDS Day event 'Celebrate Africa' last Friday night where I had the chance to stop and reflect about its impact on everyone in the world including you, so listen up...

25 million people have died from AIDS since it's discovery in the early eighties. AIDS today is the number one killer in the developing world. It's only by luck, a chance of longitude and latitude that you and I were not born in a developing country, therefore it's only by luck that you are not directly affected by the virus. Of the estimated 33 million people living with AIDS today, 67 per cent live in sub-Saharan Africa. It has brought countries -already struggling to escape economic poverty- to its knees.

In a country like Mozambique which has a population comparable to Australia, 18 people contract the AIDS virus every hour (440 daily). It's killing a MCG full of Mozambicans every year.

A cartograph, showing the world with the number of people living with AIDS. Via: www.worldmapper.org

But how does AIDS affect me really?
Ok I realise I'm lucky, but I also feel I can do more than simply be aware. As someone who wants to be an active part of this world, a global citizen, I can do more to help fight this ongoing tragedy. I feel a responsibility to help in the short term by supporting humanitarian organisations to improve prevention and treatment.

I also feel a responsibility to address the more complex long term issues that contribute to the spread of HIV like the security of human rights, the removal of gender inequalities and the lobbying of Governments for stronger health and social support systems - as per the Millennium Development Goals.

"This 20th World AIDS Day provides opportunities for both celebration and concern. Celebration because worldwide, fewer people are being infected with HIV and fewer people are dying from AIDS. Finally.
...
Twenty years ago, some ten million people were living with HIV. Since then, the epidemic has more than tripled in size. And it is still growing. For every two people who start making treatment today, another five become newly infected. So instead of getting shorter, the queues of people requiring antiretroviral therapy are getting longer and longer. There is thus as real and urgent a need as ever for a brilliant and diverse coalition that is ready to lead and deliver on AIDS." - Dr Peter Piot Executive Director of UNAIDS

So there is something to celebrate today, we now have anti-retrovirals to treat the infected and prevention programs which are starting to work. As global citizens who work at The Body Shop we can also celebrate our achievement in helping to prevent HIV and AIDS.

You might remember our Get Lippy - Prevent HIV campaign in March. We sold special edition guarana lip butters around the world. In Australia we raised AUD$63,500 and globally over AUD$2.6million for the Staying Alive Foundation.

The Staying Alive Foundation, funds HIV awareness and prevention for young people around the world. Our funding has enabled them to support 83 new youth groups, acting as leaders in community based HIV prevention programs that reaches thousands of people at the "grass roots".

MORE:
To read more about the different groups we are helping through the Staying Alive Foundation, click here. The Body Shop - MTV partnership will return in 2009 with the Yes! Yes! Yes! To Safe Sex campaign.

Read the very user friendly UNAIDS' Aids Outlook 09 report. It provides perspectives on some of the most pressing issues that will confront policymakers and leaders as they respond to the challenges presented by AIDS in 2009.

Donate to the Burnet Institute's fantastic work from the laboratory research they do on the virus to the community education programs the operate in developing nations. www.worldaidsday.com.au

Watch Dr Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS' full World AIDS day address below or via this link.