1st December - World AIDS Day

1st of December is dedicated to create awareness about the most deadly and incurable disease – AIDS. Over 90,000 people are living with HIV in UK alone, and this number is rising. Nearly half a million babies were born with HIV positive last year. This year the number could be more. Unless we harness the root cause of this disease, our future generations would continue to be threatened with this deadly disease for no fault of theirs.

The incidence of AIDS in Pakistan is not alarming as until September 2004, only some 300 cases of full-blown AIDS and another 2300 cases of HIV infection were reported to the National AIDS Control Program. But as per UN and other surveys, there may around 40,000-50,000 people suffering from this disease. The AIDS in Pakistan is generally attributed to usage of used drug syringes by the poor and unemployed, male sex workers and repatriated immigrants.

UNAIDS took the lead on World AIDS Day campaigning from its creation until 2004. From 2004 onwards the World AIDS Campaign's Global Steering Committee began selecting a theme for World AIDS Day in consultation with civil society, organisations and government agencies involved in the AIDS response.

But committees and conferences are not enough. It is WE who can make the difference. Let us live a life clean of all evils that lead to onset of AIDS. If we do so, we can realise the aim of 2015 as a world free of AIDS.

Related Reading: Preventing HIV/AIDS in Pakistan