World AIDS Day 2010: Universal Access & Human Rights...

Each year on 1 December the world comes together to focus on HIV / AIDS and finding ways to speed up the process of finding a vaccination and a cure for the scourge of our times. It is also a day to reflect on what we have achieved in the fight against discrimination towards those that are HIV+ and identify as being so. It is also a day where we can recommit to ensuring that those already infected are given every possible opportunity to lead full and productive lives where they contribute to the development of their respective communities.

This year the theme is "Universal Access and Human Rights" and it is all about working towards improving understanding and defeating prejudice. In this sense it is not only about others, rather it is about us as individuals and how we act in conjunction with awareness about the steps that we take as individuals to get educated on HIV / AIDS and the awareness of how to protect ourselves from infection that contributes to overall awareness of HIV / AIDS.

The reality is that HIV / AIDS is not the hot topic that it once was in terms of it being on the front page of every newspaper. This has in turn led to an ever-increasing amount of complacency creeping into how we behave with respect to sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV / AIDS.



Ultimately, this year is about ensuring that all people who are HIV+ have access to all that they need and to ensure that HIV+ people are treated with the dignity and respect that all humans have a basic and universal right to.

Maybe today is a day that we can commit to universal HIV / AIDS education in all schools as a means of ensuring that our children are given the best possible knowledge to make informed and sensible decisions for themselves. 

Just a thought!