World AIDS Day - December 1st

Today is a special day - World AIDS Day - a day to create awareness about the devastating effects of AIDS around the globe. This year's theme is "Universal Access and Human Rights." In many parts of the developing world and especially in all parts of Africa, AIDS is a major issue with destrcutive results for families. The disease is not well articulated, stigmas have been created due to lack of education that can leave people shunned by their communities, families and friends (even here in North America people with AIDS are shunned by those with misconceptions about the transfer of AIDS) . People are not fully educated on preventative methods of reducing or eliminating exposure to this disease. And most tragic of all, are the number of children that have been left parentless, because of the devasting effect of AIDS.

I have seen the orphans in Kenya whose parents have died from AIDS who have been left to fend for themselves and their siblings, left on their own without a loving parent to look out for their safety, or tuck them into bed each night. Sometimes they can find a home with a grandparent but these elderly persons have neither the resources nor the strength to look after these orphan children. If they are lucky, another family might take them in, but again food and resources may be severely limited.

So on this special day, we ask you to think about those who have been inflicted with this tragic disease. Speak out for them for universal access to drugs which can help prolong their life with quality and human dignity.