40 million people live with HIV/AIDS worldwide

12 million children have been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS

There were 4.3 million new HIV infections in 2006 and 2.9 million AIDS-related deaths.

The epidemic has globalised and feminised - HIV is now present in every country and half of those living with HIV are women, compared to 1988 when most were men. (Dr Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS - United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS)

Currently, more than 500,000 children are estimated to become infected with HIV each year, over 90 per cent of them because they are born to mothers infected with the virus (UNICEF)

What will you be doing this World AIDS Day?

On December 1st, 20 people in the UK will be newly diagnosed with HIV; around the world, over 10,000 will be newly infected. It will happen again on December 2nd, December 3rd and December 4th. It's happening every day of the year.

But on December 1st, World AIDS Day, you can actually do something about it.

Here are two simple things you can do to make a difference on World AIDS Day:

• Wear a red ribbon and sell red ribbons to friends, colleagues, anyone you can think of.
• Join the World AIDS Day campaign to get every MP wearing a red ribbon.

You can buy a red ribbon from Top Shop, Urban Outfitters, MAC shops and counters, and from countless other outlets across the country. Wear yours with pride.

Women and Babies

Each month, more babies are born with HIV in one clinic in Africa than in one year in the United States, Canada and England combined. This is because treatment to prevent the infection of newborns in the developed world has become as simple as a single dose of medicine for the mother and her newborn.

While these same clinical solutions are now available in Africa, their impact and effectiveness for HIV-positive mothers is less successful without complementary social, emotional and psychological support.

Mothers2mothers (m2m) helps save these children and their mothers by offering essential support. m2m offers an effective, sustainable model of care that provides education and support for pregnant women and new mothers living with HIV/AIDS.

Stigma and Discrimination




HIV discrimination is now illegal, yet it still exists. Ignorance about how HIV is transmitted as well as homophobia, racism and xenophobia combine to make HIV an extremely stigmatised condition. People living with HIV often experience prejudice and discrimination at their place of work, in accessing healthcare, in the media and among friends and relatives.

The National Aids Trust aims to eradicate HIV stigma and discrimination by:

• Campaigning for better legal protection against HIV-related discrimination
• Challenging national policies that discriminate against people affected by HIV
• Developing awareness campaigns and producing materials that change people's attitudes and behaviour

Read more here about what you can do to raise awareness and to grow your knowledge ....

http://www.m2m.org/
Mothers2mothers (m2m) helps save children and their mothers by offering essential support.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/event...d_aids_day/en/
World Health Organisation

http://www.tht.org.uk/howyoucanhelpus/worldaidsday/
Terrence Higgings Trust

http://www.m2m.org/mothers-creations...eations-2.html
Support m2m and buy gorgeous tree decorations!

http://www.who.int/hiv/en/index.html
World Aids Day with the World Helath Organisation

http://www.who.int/hiv/mediacentre/0...atement_en.pdf
Dr Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS - United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS - full message

http://www.unaids.org/en/HIV_data/20...te/default.asp
The 2007 AIDS epidemic update reports on the latest developments in the global AIDS epidemic. The 2007 edition provides the most recent estimates of the AIDS epidemic and explores new findings and trends in the epidemic’s evolution.

http://www.nat.org.uk/Public-Perceptions-of-HIV
National Aids Trust public perceptions of HIV

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Josie
StudentMidwife.NET Founder & Director



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