World Aids Day: world aids day

Another year rolls around and we are once again reminded of the scourge that continues to gather pace across the globe. Despite a peak of new cases in 2005, NZ continues to struggle with 2+ new HIV cases per week. Complacency amongst middle aged men and the resurgence of bareback porn are both considered to be behind the high infection rate.

The NZ Aids Foundation is at the forefront and regularly holds community forums to try and figure out how to get the safe sex message out there without sounding like a broken record. The 2007 report can be found here.


Here are some of the global trends, sourced from Avert.org:

More than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981.

Africa has 11.6 million AIDS orphans.

At the end of 2007, women accounted for 50% of all adults living with HIV worldwide, and for 59% in sub-Saharan Africa.

Young people (under 25 years old) account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide.

In developing and transitional countries, 9.7 million people are in immediate need of life-saving AIDS drugs; of these, only 2.99 million (31%) are receiving the drugs.

The number of people living with HIV has risen from around 8 million in 1990 to 33 million today, and is still growing. Around 67% of people living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa.

My heart goes out to all those living with HIV/Aids and all those who work the front lines every day of the year. Keep up the good work.


Source: blog.greens.org.nz