World Aids Day - 1 December 2013

This year marks the 26th anniversary of World Aids Day, which was first observed in 1988. It was the first-ever global health day, initiated by health ministers across the world who hoped to promote awareness of the disease and encourage an attitude of tolerance and acceptance for those living with HIV and Aids. World Aids Day is also an opportunity to remember the more than 25 million who have died as a result of Aids-related illnesses since 1981 (1981 - 2007), when the first cases of immune deficiency were identified.

The theme of this year's World Aids Day is ‘Getting to zero', that is, zero new HIV-infections, zero Aids-related deaths and zero discrimination.

The statistics
In 2012 it was reported that:

• 35.3 million individuals were living with HIV;
• 2.1 million of these were adolescents;
• 23.5 million of these were from sub-Saharan Africa;

What is HIV and Aids and how is it transmitted?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It targets the immune system, consequently weakening the sufferer's defence systems against infections. The virus gradually destroys immune cells, eventually resulting in the sufferer becoming immunodeficient, i.e. having increased susceptibility to many different infections and diseases. Aids (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is the most advanced stage of HIV infection.

HIV can be transmitted through the exchange of bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk. It is important to note that you cannot become infected through normal day-to-day contact such as shaking hands or sharing personal items, water and food.

Behaviours that put you at greater risk of contracting HIV include:

• having unprotected vaginal or anal sex;
• sharing needles and syringes when using drugs;
• receiving unsafe blood transfusions;
• undergoing medical procedures that involve unsterile cutting or piercing;
• experiencing accidental needlestick injuries;
• having another sexually transmitted disease such as herpes.

HIV testing and counselling
In 2010 the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 95 million people had received HIV testing and counselling (HCT) in the past 12 months and had been advised of their HIV status. The development of finger-prick HIV tests in the late 1990s allowed for the significant expansion of HIV testing services, where trained community health workers could process tests on site.

WHO identified five key components - the 5 Cs - to guide all HIV testing and counselling services to ensure that they occur within a context of non-discrimination and respect. These are:

• consent (HIV testing should be voluntary and not coerced by anyone such as a family member);
• confidentiality (the results should only be given to the person who is being tested);
• counselling (the individual being tested must be given counselling before the results are finalised);
• correct test results;
• connection to prevention, care and treatment (the individual will need to have access to treatment and learn how to manage t disease).

South Africa and Aids
South Africa has the highest number of HIV-infected individuals in the world at 5.6 million. However, treatment of the disease in our country has dramatically improved. Almost two million people are now on antiretroviral treatment (ARTs), which is a 100% increase from 2009. There are plans for three million people to have access to ARTs by 2015. Aids-related deaths have also been reduced by 27% in South Africa from 2005 to 2011.

The significance of the red ribbon
The red ribbon has become the universal symbol of those united in the fight against HIV. It was the very first ribbon symbol, and was thus the inspiration for many subsequent versions such as the pink ribbon symbol for breast cancer awareness.

The idea of the red ribbon came from a brainstorm session attended by a group of 12 artists. They had met to discuss a project for Visual Aids, a New York-based arts organisation that raises HIV and Aids awareness. This was back in 1991, barely a decade after the first case of HIV had been diagnosed. At this time there was still considerable prejudice against people with the disease and many misconceptions around its transmission, such as the fact that it was a disease only contracted by gay men, were prevalent. For this reason, many individuals who had the disease were too afraid to tell even their loved ones about their status.

This group of artists aimed to get people talking about HIV and Aids through the visual expression of a red ribbon, which would symbolise compassion and love for people living with this dreadful disease. In order to start increasing awareness of their campaign, the artists first started out distributing the ribbons themselves, especially around the New York art scene. The ribbons were at first accompanied by a piece of text explaining their significance but gradually this became unnecessary as well-known actors started wearing red ribbons to award ceremonies like the Oscars and began talking about what the ribbon symbolised.

What you can do on World Aids Day
As your partner in health, GEMS encourages each of its members to educate themselves and others about HIV and Aids, be aware of risk factors and get tested regularly. There are also a number of projects which you can initiate or support in your community or in the workplace. These include:

• educating employees about the prevention of HIV/Aids through posters, company newsletters and informative emails;
• arranging for your organisation to donate products or money to Aids charities, or getting employees to give their time, old clothes, or money to these charities;
• organising Aids fundraising events, for example a golf day or a run/walk;
• asking your boss for his/her support in establishing 1 December as a special day to highlight HIV/Aids issues.

References
UNAIDS 2012 Global Report www.unaids.org
World Aids Day www.chiff.com
World Aids Day UK www.worldaidsday.org
World Health Organization www.who.int