World AIDS Day 2008

Living in Aotearoa/New Zealand it’s easy to go about life without giving HIV/AIDS much of a thought if it doesn’t directly affect our lives. Whilst it exists in Aotearoa/New Zealand, probably to an extent that may surprise some people, and whilst the rate of infection with other STI’s in the public shows signs that HIV could spread rapidly in our country if it were to enter certain sectors of society unnoticed, it is generally not something that affects the day to day lives of the average citizen here.

With that in mind, it would be easy enough to forgive people if they thought it wasn’t a big issue and therefore did not see the significance of World AIDS Day. But the stark fact is that it is a big deal and it’s a problem that affects millions of lives around the world. It is a problem that shows no signs of abating and it’s effects go beyond contained and isolated deaths of those individuals who are affected.

Whilst it is true for many in the developed world that access to antiretroviral drugs that can hold the effects of HIV/AIDS at bay can prolong the life of an infected individual, this is not the case for many in the developing world where HIV/AIDS is wreaking havoc.

Sadly there are a few problematic circumstances causing the spread at alarming rates in the developing world.

1) Poor access to sex education to promote healthy sexual practices such as the use of contraception and abstinence as well as making informed sexual choices.

2) Sexual practices that are steeped in superstition and only cause HIV/AIDS to spread, such as the idea that if one is infected, the best way to cure ones self is to have sex with a young virgin – thus giving her a death sentence.

3) Poor health practices related to the use of needles and blood transfusions that see infection spreading from person to person.

4) The infection of unborn children from their mother.

In developing nations, the effect of HIV/AIDS goes well beyond a few individuals dieing miserable deaths in poorly equipped hospitals – it spreads to families being ripped apart with sometimes all adults in a family dieing, leaving children being orphaned in their droves. Whole communities are being ripped apart as people die. Once stable tribal community infrastructures are failing as people become sick and die.

Access to blood free of HIV/AIDS becomes limited because of the rate of infection.

Innocent girls are being raped and infected as men try to cure themselves by having sex with virgins. Often these girl’s end up in prostitution situations and the infection spreads.

The number of deaths from HIV/AIDS is completely undermining the ability of communities to sustain themselves as people die, people necessary for the ongoing sustainability of all that is necessary for a community to operate.

We must also recognize the threat this poses to our own countries with the rate of travel and globalization in our current world. Getting involved in halting the spread of HIV/AIDS in the developing world is the best way to ensure the safety of our own populations. When we don’t act we simply allow the time bomb to keep on ticking, so where we are not motivated and compelled to act simply because we believe in the equality and dignity of all people, even selfish desires for safety and security should drive us to action on this matter in the developing world.

To stand for a sustainable world and to work for a safer world where the threat of contracting HIV/AIDS decreases for all people there are things we can actively support. These things come in two areas.

1) The ambulance at the bottom of the hill

We can actively support those whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS. We can support the generation of orphans who have witnessed and lived through the deaths of their parents. We can actively be involved in the ongoing education and well being of these children so a generation grows up being aware of and able to tackle the issues present in their countries. Things like child sponsorship and the support of organizations like Watoto are ways to enact this.

We can participate in the availability of cheap antiretroviral drugs that hold the effects of HIV/AIDS at bay amongst those who have contracted the infection.

We can support hospitals and programmes that provide care for those who live with HIV/AIDS.

2) Prevention

We can actively support programmes that seek to educate people on better sexual practices that can halt the spread of HIV/AIDS. There are many such programmes that are currently active.

Child sponsorship can actively play a part here as well as it leads to children, families and communities having access to good education.

We can support medical operations and the provision of better medical supplies and practices so that poor medical operations are reduced as a factor leading to the contraction of HIV/AIDS.

We can lend our voice where possible to campaigns where groups are seeking to change laws to allow for better access to anything that will prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Ultimately, getting involved in any of the things outlined above is not about providing charity, it is about actively getting involved in building a more sustainable, safer world and about recognizing the inherent worth and dignity of every single human being on the face of this planet.

As we move through this day I would encourage you to use it as a time to reflect on this problem, do some research – just search for “HIV/AIDS” on the internet and you should find plenty of information to sift through – and ponder how you may be able to play a part in building safer world for all by actively engaging this issue.