Today is World Aids Day. A very important day to remember the continuing fight against the disease, particularly in Africa, but also here in the UK. Worldwide, more than 33.4 million people have HIV. More than 85,000 of them are in the UK. There were 2.7 million new HIV cases in 2008, of which 7,298 were in the UK. There have been great strides in terms of medication for people who suffer from HIV in recent years. There have been great strides to reduce the stigma and fight prejudice about the disease. There have been great strides in prevention, treatment and large steps towards a cure. But there is still a great deal more to do.
However, World Aids Day is a cause that should have high levels of exposure. This is why I am so surprised that so few stockists are selling World Aids Day red ribbons. Seemingly, they are only available in branches of Next, H & M and Lloyds Chemists! Well you will probably only find branches of H & M and Next in large towns and cities. Why on earth are the big supermarkets and the likes of WHSmith not selling them? It would surely make complete sense.
The lack of vendors probably explains the lack of people wearing World Aids Day ribbons on the streets today. World Aids Day is a very important cause. Lets hope that by next year, organisers have developed ways to enhance its exposure.
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Are we going to have a “day” for MRSA deaths in Britain which are now about 30,000 over the last few years. All avoidable and a far higher death rate in Britain than Aids over the last few years. Or don’t these people count???
In a UK context, AIDS is an affliction caused largely by lifestyle , though some non-culpable folk get infected.
Much like smoking really, yet no flag days for sufferers of smoking-related ailments. Instead, smokers are reviled for a filthy habit, urged to give up and criticised for the consequent cost to NHS of treatment (ignoring the fact that tobacco tax pulls in somewhat more than the NHS cost).
In what way is AIDS in the UK different in principle?
AIDS victims are an officially-sanctified minority. Smokers are an officially-reviled minority. That’s the difference.