Highlights
- Every year, World AIDS day is celebrated to fight against the disease, the taboo and raise awareness on the issue.
- AIDS is a pandemic disease, and the world hasn’t reached an ultimate cure for it yet.
- The United Nations has urged the world community to narrow social, cultural, and economic disparities to fight AIDS.
Whenever the term “AIDS” appears, people get fearful. It is indeed one of the most dangerous health-related causes of death worldwide. However, being afraid and making it a taboo only brings more complexities to the subject. Thus, every year, world AIDS day is celebrated to fight against the disease, the taboo and raise awareness on the issue.
AIDS in a nutshell
AIDS is an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is caused by the transmission of a virus called HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). So, HIV is like a poison to the body; it weakens the immune system when it enters the body. Because of this, the body becomes susceptible to various harmful diseases like tuberculosis, tumours, influenzas, etc.
AIDS is transmitted through unprotected sexual practice, from mother to child via pregnancy, semen, blood, etc. Body fluids like tears and saliva are not the medium for AIDS transmission. AIDS is a pandemic disease, and the world hasn’t reached an ultimate cure for it yet.
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The AIDS pandemic
It’s been around forty years since the first AIDS case was detected. And, till now, millions of lives have been suffering because of the disease. AIDS has killed around 36 million people globally to date. In 2020 itself, 37 million people were living with AIDS. Additionally, about 700000 people lost their lives in 2020 alone.
Thanks to scientific advancements, antiretroviral treatment has saved thousands of lives suffering from AIDS. However, there is still no long-term permanent solution for the life-threatening disease.
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December 1: International AIDS day
Since 1988, December 1 has been celebrated as World AIDS Day. AIDS is a pandemic disease, which has been on the rise for the past forty years now. And, despite the recent advancement in medical science, we are nowhere close to reaching the goal of eradicating AIDS by 2030.
Yes, there is a global goal set to eradicate AIDS by 2030. However, it sounds difficult to achieve, looking at the numbers at which cases are rising. Besides, the majority of AIDS cases are found in Southern African countries. Thus, it seems that the main problem of AIDS is not just because of a lack of awareness; it is also because of the lack of equality and equity across regions.
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2021 theme: “End Inequalities, End Aids, End Pandemics.”
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has decided the theme of this year’s world’s AIDS day as “End Inequalities, End Aids, End Pandemics.” The theme emphasises the urgent need to erase the disparities across demographics that have become a vital cause of the spread of AIDS in particular communities and areas.
The United Nations has urged the world community to narrow social, cultural, and economic disparities to fight AIDS. The world as a whole would never be able to prosper if one part of it thrives and the other suffers under the heap of economic, social and health instabilities.
Bottom line
Thus, on World AIDS Day, governments are being urged to work upon their policies for better awareness regarding HIV-AIDS and efficient investment in medical science so that the treatment is widely available at an affordable cost to all.