Remember, Celebrate, Envision; World AIDS Day, Dec. 1st

By Robin Dorner
Editor in Chief

World AIDS Day, celebrated annually on December 1st, is about, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice, raising money and improving education about HIV and AIDS. Events will be held across the Gayly's tri-state region to celebrate this 24th annual recognition. The first World AIDS Day was celebrated on 1st December 1988 and officials say the global epidemic of HIV/AIDS probably peaked in 1996.

World AIDS Day is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to get together and honor and remember those we have lost by keeping the promise to those we love and for the hope of tomorrow. Hope with new medications, medical treatments, advancing technology, more and better education, and better support of our current governmental leaders. There is much encouragement about the end of new infections (by 2021).

“Remember Back, Celebrate Now, Envision Tomorrow,” is a slogan Chuck Longacre, HIV/AIDS Program Coordinator & Community Liaison for RedRock Behavioral Health Services in OKC came up with this year. “Events like these [World AIDS Day] help us remember, in a good way, those we have lost and to remember that there has been so much progress for this disease. There is just a marked change for a lot of folks living better and living longer now,” said Longacre.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the number of people living with AIDS is increasing, as effective new drug therapies keep HIV-infected persons healthy longer and dramatically reduce the death rate. The CDC’s programs work to improve treatment, care, and support for persons living with HIV/AIDS and to build capacity and infrastructure to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States and around the world.

In his speech at the XIX International AIDS Conference, WHO’s Director of the HIV Department, Dr Gottfried Hirnschall confirms the world’s optimism to achieve the target to deliver antiretroviral treatment to 15 million people by 2015. He also highlights the need for thinking beyond this target emphasizing the importance of earlier testing, improved retention and strategic use of antiretrovirals in view of ending the epidemic.

No new infections by 2012, which is the goal. Let's work together to make that a reality.