November 27, 2010

Am I Not Human? World AIDS Day

I realize that many of you are still full from the Thanksgiving feasts that you shared with friends and family. Disease and suffering are not likely to be on your mind.

But, this blog wants to remind you that between Thanksgiving and the holiday festivities to come, there's another important event often overlooked: World AIDS Day on December 1st.

AIDS is one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history, and especially devastating for the most vulnerable: children. Over 2 million children worldwide are HIV-positive, and 50% of infants infected with HIV from their mothers die before their second birthday.

The good news is that a proven solution for curbing mother-to-child transmission of HIV now exists: testing and counseling for mothers, combined with anti-retroviral drugs. But to make this successful on a global scale, the world must demonstrate the will to fund this solution.

World AIDS Day exists to mobilize support for taking the steps necessary to end the global AIDS epidemic. Soulclap to Change.org and the US Fund for UNICEF for issuing a call to all Americans to make a pledge to support solutions to end the AIDS epidemic now.



Worldwide, the funds to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS infections can't keep up with demand. There are 7,000 new infections every day, which means two people are still infected with the virus for every one starting treatment.

We are in an era of tight foreign-aid budgets, and developed nations are showing resistance to additional funding for preventing and treating AIDS. But as we go around shopping for friends and family this holiday, let's not forget to include the world's most vulnerable in our list of those we want to support.

Take action to help end the AIDS epidemic once and for all, and pledge to support life-saving programs around the world that protect children from HIV/AIDS and get treatment to those who are infected.






These Malawi victims are surely asking the universal question, "Am I Not Human?"

Roots of Humanity feels that each of us can fight against human rights abuses in the world. We simply need to do something. Protest. Meditate. Pray. In the case of bloggers ... we want you to blog on the 27th of each month. Just share information on behalf of our human siblings in all suffering areas who are either barred from communication by their governments, or lacking in technology to ask: Am I Not Human?

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