World AIDs Day..

So, if you've been around me long enough, you know that I will rant about things that make me mad. Injustice is definitely one of them, and AIDs is a huge form of injustice.
As first declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1988, December 1 marks World AIDs Day.

Here's some quick stats regarding AIDs..
*AIDs is one of the world's largest pandemics that needs to be addressed
*32.9 MILLION people live with AIDs
*8 of the near 33 million are children and youth
*And, 2 million die annually from AIDs

As most people know, the pandemic is running rampant in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to BBC, "One in four women in Sub-Saharan Africa is HIV positive by the age of 22". So, as a 22-year old woman myself, if I lived anywhere in Sub-Saharan Africa there is a 25% chance that I would be infected with AIDs. How different would my life, and the lives of those close to me, be?!

But, I think what makes me more mad than AIDs itself, is the implications of the disease. So..32.9 million people die of AIDs every year, how many orphans and widows does that leave?! Who is going to take care of these children who's mother and/or father died of AIDs? In his book, The End of Poverty, UN economic advisor Jeffrey Sachs, recalls his visit to a Kenyan community where there were virtually no men to maintain simple repairs to the houses and school in the village because all had either died from AIDs or were too weak due to their current fight with the disease.

The popular thought regarding the reasons why economic development has failed in Africa is pinned to corruption of government leaders. Now, I am not at all going to say that corruption hasn't negatively affected economic development, but, come on. If 67% of those affected by AIDs live in Africa, how can much development occur if we first don't address the pandemic? "There is no sense talking about market reforms in Africa if you have an AIDS pandemic raging…If you can’t control disease, you can’t have economic development" (Sachs). AIDs in Africa is undoubtedly destroying both economic growth and human capital, creating even larger needs and letting other forms of injustice thrive.

And, unfortunately, AIDs isn't just affecting Africa. This is a world-wide pandemic that we are facing, and we are all responsible to do our part in this fight.

Children playing outside at an AIDs orphanage in Aizawl, in north-east India (BBC).

I don't say any of that to be depressing, or to ignite guilt, but rather to motivate and show that this is real an it needs to be addressed..so, DO SOMETHING! Educate yourself, we all know that there is so much more that each of us could learn about what is going on in the world. Read a book regarding AIDs, be an advocate, tell other people, donate your money, your time, or any of your resources, show compassion, pray, seek justice.