December 1 of each year marks World AIDS Day, a global observation that raises awareness of HIV & AIDS, commemorates those who have died, and celebrates advances in prevention and treatment services.
A time to remember the more than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981, and the 14,000 who will die in the United States this year. To remind ourselves that there are more than 1 million people in the United States and 33 million worldwide who are living with HIV and AIDS and wonder how almost 3 million people were infected last year alone.
We have lost fiends, brothers and sisters to this disease. They have been part of our families and our church. Each one a life cut short, each one leaving a void in our lives.
World AIDS Day is an opportunity for us to work together to help reduce stigma around HIV and promote HIV testing. Silence will not prevent the spread of this disease. Ignorance and silence is the enemy. Talk with your doctor, your partners, your family and friends. It is imperative we remove the stigma surrounding this disease.
At the end of 2008, women accounted for over 50% of all adults living with HIV worldwide. Young people (under 25 years old) account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide. Unfortunately, the number of new HIV cases remains high — an estimated 2.7 million last year alone — which means too many remain uneducated about the disease. The UMC is committed to put a stop to HIV/AIDS in our world, in our time. The UM Global AIDS Fund is leading the effort for an AIDS free world. Become educated; check out the UM Global AIDS Fund website at www.umglobalaidsfund.org and www.aids.gov.
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