WORLD AIDS DAY took place around the world last Monday, aiming to raise awareness and stamp out the stigma associated with this disease.
WORLD AIDS DAY took place around the world last Monday, aiming to raise awareness and stamp out the stigma associated with this disease.
Ireland is just one of the many countries affected by HIV/Aids, with over 4,419 new HIV cases reported here from 1990 to 2006. However, this number seems like a drop in the ocean compared to the staggering figure of 32.7 million reported to be infected worldwide.
Many people living with HIV/Aids are stigmatised due to their condition. A recent report by the campaign group Stamp Out Stigma states that nearly 25 per cent of Irish people would worry about eating a meal prepared by someone with HIV. The group is currently running an ad campaign aimed at combating stigma against those living with HIV and Aids in Ireland.
Efforts are also being made both here in Ireland and internationally to prevent the spread of HIV. According to Ireland’s development NGOs, if urgent action is not taken to prevent the high level of HIV transmission, there will be extraordinary demand for funding which may not be met. Commenting on the spread of HIV across the world, Breda Gahan, chairperson of the Dóchas HIV and Aids group, said: “One of the key factors in the continuing spread of HIV and Aids is the lack of women’s power over their own lives.
“Violence against women, limited education for girls, poor access to treatment and lack of women’s representation at all levels of decisionmaking fuel the spread of Aids. By now, 60 per cent of people
living with HIV in Africa are women, and among young people that figure is even as high as three out of every four.”
Gahan added: “In our experience, inequality is a major factor in contributing to the spread and impact of HIV and Aids, and that in responding to the epidemic, the underlying causes of gender inequality must be addressed.”
