HIV/AIDS education is the solution
By Frank Barnes
HIV/AIDS prevention is everybody's business.
Australia has experienced HIV/AIDS for the past 23 years. Despite the world acclaimed policies adopted from the beginning for prevention of the spread of HIV, on December 31, 2005, 22,361 Australians had been infected with HIV, 9872 were diagnosed with AIDS and 6668 had died. In 2005 (the last year for which official figures are available) there were 394 new HIV diagnoses in NSW, 363 males and 31 females. In other words HIV/AIDS has not disappeared but not as many are dying.
In the Indigenous Australian community one of the bigger concerns is that the infection rate for women is three times that of the non-Indigenous community which is attributed to heterosexual contact and injecting drug use.
On a global level, there have been an estimated 38.6 million people living with HIV at the end of 2005. An estimated 4.1 million became newly infected and an estimated 2.8 million lost their lives to AIDS. Favourable trends in incidence in several countries are related to changes in behaviour and prevention programs. And while there has been a lessening of AIDS mortality, the numbers of people living with HIV is due to population growth and the life-prolonging effects of antiretroviral therapy. Africa remains the global epicentre of the AIDS pandemic. The South African AIDS epidemic -- one of the worst in the world -- shows no evidence of a decline. While the figures in Asia, Europe and Oceania are not as bad as Africa they are still worrying.
World AIDS Day
The theme of World AIDS Day 2007 for United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS) is "Leadership -- Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise", the Education International theme is "Make a Difference -- Spend One Hour on AIDS", while in Australia the theme is "Prevention is everybody's business". Australia has been a leader in strategies in the prevention of AIDS and we still have problems as is evidenced by the numbers of new HIV infections. By raising awareness of HIV/AIDS on World AIDS Day December 1, and raising funds by buying a ribbon or a wristband we raise awareness with the population and funds for the main support groups in Australia in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The lessons we learn are used to help fight the battle globally.
Education International has a strategy called EFAIDS which is Education for All about AIDS. They are working with communities around the world to help educators and students to deal with the epidemic. For more information on World AIDS Day there are a number of websites: www.worldaidsday.org.au, UNAIDS: www.unaids.org and Education International: www.ei-ie.org.
Frank Barnes has been working on issues surrounding HIV/AIDS for 23 years. Sources: The websites of UNAIDS and World AIDS Day.
What can you do?
The least is to buy a ribbon or a wristband and wear it. You could organise a morning tea at your workplace with donations going to the AIDS Council of NSW, the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation or the AIDS Trust of Australia. You could have an assembly about World AIDS Day. If in Sydney, you could participate in the Walk for AIDS on Sunday November 25 (help to recover from the election) or sponsor myself and Charmaine O'Sheades in the walk. Remember there is still no cure or even a vaccination, so the only way of preventing any further increase in HIV/AIDS is education.
Frank Barnes is a City Organiser.
For further information
November 2007 contents
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