World AIDS Day

AIDS sprang upon an unsuspecting world more than two decades ago. Since then, the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has claimed the lives of more than 30 million people around the world. Forty million people live with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which eventually causes full-blown AIDS. More than 15,000 people are infected with HIV globally each day.

This year’s world AIDS Day (December 1) theme is Leadership: Stop AIDS. Keep The Promise.” This is in fact the 20th World AIDS Day.

This year’s theme is very relevant as the world requires leadership to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. It can be a simple gesture such as a nationally recognised person being tested for HIV/AIDS.

That sends a powerful message to the entire community that being tested for HIV and even being diagnosed as having it, is not a factor that one should be ashamed of.

Sri Lanka is a good example for correct leadership in the sphere of health. Our healthcare systems are among the best in the world - the First World included - and Government and NGO-sponsored programmes on HIV/AIDS have had the desired effect.

In addition, religious, cultural and social norms in our society mean that Sri Lanka has been able to maintain a very low rate of HIV prevalence. The political and civil society leadership should strive to keep it that way.

One alarming factor is that many young persons in Sri Lanka do not have a proper awareness of sexual health. This could lead to dangers such as AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Proper leadership is needed to eradicate ignorance on sexual health. Sex education is vital to save the younger generation from the scourge of HIV/AIDS.

Third world countries should take the leadership in urging the global pharmaceutical industry to provide cheaper anti-AIDS drugs and also to develop a vaccine. There are some top-notch university research centres in the Third World which can help in the campaign to develop a vaccine.

With the poorest countries having the largest numbers of HIV/AIDS sufferers, an international effort must be made to supply generic AIDS drugs at affordable rates. Rich countries must extend their fullest cooperation to the developing world to fight the AIDS scourge.

Young people and women are the two major high-risk groups. It is not very difficult to comprehend why they face a greater AIDS risk. Social inequalities and injustices put them in the path of AIDS. In the case of women, they bear the brunt of poverty. They are also subject to sexual violence and abuse.

They are also more likely to stay away from education in poverty-ridden countries, thus compounding their ignorance on health matters, including AIDS. Even marriage does not offer protection - in some heavily-infected countries, married women have higher rates of infection than their unmarried peers.

As UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon says in his World AIDS Day message, it is a social issue, a human rights issue and an economic issue to resolve which the entire world should get together. It is essential that everyone can access HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, no matter whether they are rich or poor.

HIV/AIDS has been with us for well over 20 years, but the stigma surrounding AIDS patients is still a major problem. Even though it is well known that HIV/AIDS is not spread by casual contact, many would not dare to go near a AIDS patient or grant him/her employment.

Overcoming stigma remains one of the biggest challenges. The world needs guidance and leadership to eradicate this stigma.

All countries should also leadership to stick by the 2010 date for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. This was a pledge by all Governments in the UN system. With only two years left for 2010, the time for action is now.

As the slogan of this year’s World AIDS Day proclaims, they should Keep the Promise to Stop AIDS. A world without HIV/AIDS would not be far away if there is a global consensus on eradicating this silent killer.