Over 33 million people around the world now live with AIDS, killing over 330,000 children last year alone. In the UK, over 80,000 people live with HIV, and about a third don’t even realise it. Over 7000 new cases are diagnosed each year. There remains no cure or vaccine for AIDS, only treatments which slow the course of the disease. There are some drugs which reduce the mortality of those infected with HIV, but they are expensive and not routinely available in every country.
What is the theme for World AIDS Day 2009?
The UK theme for World AIDS Day 2009 focuses on the reality of HIV today.
The theme uses real people and real situations to present true accounts of how HIV affects people living in the UK, as well as dispelling myths, misinformation and confusion.
The slogan for World AIDS Day 2009 in the UK is “HIV: Reality”.
The UK theme translates the World AIDS Campaign international World AIDS Day theme of “human rights and access to treatment” to our situation here in the UK. The international theme also relates closely to the philosophy of “Respect & Protect”
Wear a red ribbon and show your support
The red ribbon is worn as a sign of support for people living with HIV. Wearing a red ribbon for World AIDS Day is a simple and powerful way to show support and challenge the stigma and prejudice surrounding HIV and AIDS that prevents us from tackling HIV in the UK and internationally.
A Message from the Prime Minister
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has released a special video message to mark World AIDS Day 2009. In the message Gordon Brown pays tribute to the activists all over the world who have refused to give up in the face of HIV and states that the Government is committed to increasing HIV testing and tackling the stigma that persists.
The statistics (courtesy of World AIDS Day)
UK
The number of people living with HIV in the UK has trebled in the last 10 years.
- More than 80,000 people are living with HIV in the UK;
- Over a quarter of people with HIV in the UK are undiagnosed;
- About two thirds of people living with HIV are male and a third are women;
- Over half of all people living with HIV are aged between 30 and 44, but there are significant numbers both of young people and older people now living with HIV;
- 7,700 new diagnoses in the UK in 2007;
- 2,700 new diagnoses among men who have sex with men;
- 3,500 new diagnoses among people from black and minority ethnic communities.
Internationally
HIV is increasing in every region of the world
- 33 million people living with HIV worldwide;
- 30.8 million adults;
- 15.5 million women;
- 2 million children under 15;
- 2.7 million total new cases;
- 2.3 million adults;
- 370,000 children under 15;
- 2 million total deaths.
A look at Swaziland
The people of Swaziland suffer from extreme poverty (70 per cent of the population live on less than $1 a day) and more than 1 in 4 Swazis are living with HIV and AIDS. Swaziland is Africa's only autocratic absolute monarchy. Political parties are banned, political and civic activists are imprisoned, and the judiciary, media and other authoritative bodies are controlled by the monarchy.
Swaziland is one of the countries hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Since the first AIDS cases were reported in the country in 1986, the disease has spread at an alarming rate. The government estimates that only 20% of people in the country know their HIV status. Swazi traditional opinion links AIDS with sexual promiscuity, and often causes HIV positive people to be rejected by their families.
The immense scale of AIDS related illness and death has weakened governance capacities for service delivery, with serious impact on food security, economic growth and human development.
Related Links
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