AIDS: Old news or current crisis?

Dec 3rd, 2009 1:30 PM UTC
By ONE Partners

Check out this partner post from World Vision, another entry in our World AIDS Day blog series.

When I served in the Peace Corps in West Africa a few years ago, I saw HIV/AIDS and its effects firsthand. I saw children who were orphaned from the disease, met people who were sick, knew adults and children who died. I saw the devastating impact of AIDS on a community.

Upon returning to the U.S., I began to work with World Vision’s college advocacy network, World Vision ACT:S. We seek to mobilize a generation to respond to injustices, particularly AIDS, malaria, hunger, and child slavery. I see the passion and idealism of college students. I’ve seen how a small group of committed people can mobilize to make a difference.

I’ve also seen how much competes for our attention today, and understandably so. Health care, the war in Afghanistan, the economic crisis, swine flu, climate change… the list goes on. The AIDS crisis can seem like old news. I’m ashamed to admit that I struggle to remain focused sometimes, even after seeing the effects of AIDS day by day for two years while in the Peace Corps.

World AIDS Day is a time to rejuvenate our commitment to respond to AIDS. We’ve made great strides to combat this pandemic, but we must respond to the challenges ahead.

Now more than ever we must rally around those who are affected by HIV/AIDS around the world. This year, we want to draw special attention to mass of invisible victims whose voices are not being heard–the 2 million children under age 15 who are living with HIV. Most of these children contracted the disease while in the womb, during birth, or while breastfeeding.

Mother-to-child transmission is preventable. Let’s join together to help their voices be heard. We’re rallying together this week to call our senators to ask them to keep their promise in the fight against global AIDS.

It’s simple. You just need 10 minutes, an Internet connection, and a phone. Go to our website and click “Make the call.” You’ll get the phone numbers and call script you need. One phone call is worth several hundred petition signatures. Just ten phone calls can make a significant impact.

Watch this video by Princess Kasune Zulu, talking about why we should advocate for AIDS:

TAGS: From Our Partners, HIV/AIDS, ONE, World AIDS Day 2009, World Vision