The 1st of December is a very special day world over, people from all over the world unite to make their voices heard against HIV/AIDS. According the USAID official website, about 32 million people have died from aids since the beginning of the pandemic; about 5,500 people die every day because of hiv/aids. Approximately 95% of people living with hiv/aids live in developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa is the most hit, and currently eastern Europe and central Asia have the highest hiv/aids growing epidemic rates in the world. It is also important to note that about half of all adult HIV infections occur among 15-24 year olds.
Ribon used for World Aids Day
World Aids day campaign in Akershus district
The theme for this year's world aids day was "universal access and human rights" so together with volunteers from akershus we organized for a stand at the lillestrøm train station on the 1st of December. Here we gave out condoms packed in Rode kørs packs, brochures and about Hiv/ aids, did condom demonstrations, and talked to many people as possible about this pandemic. We also gave out cookies, and served a warm drink to every body that visited our stand.
serving cookies and condoms..fify and iWe also visited sandvika high school in bærum where we talked to the students about hiv/aids, made condom demonstrations, and answered so many questions from these inquisitive students. Many of them were astonished by the how serious the hiv/ aids scourge has destroyed the world, and we managed to get 4 new volunteers willing to join the Red Cross Youth in order to help educate fellow youths through active choice.
together with Rita at the standQuick facts about hiv/aids in Rwanda
• population by 2008 9,900,000
• people living with hiv/aids, 2007 150,000
• women(aged 15+) with hiv/aids, 2007 78,000
• Adult HIV prevalence(%),2007 2.8
• AIDS deaths, 2007 7,800
photo of people celebrating world Aids dayThis year, the widely spread gospel on world aids day in Rwanda was to advice people to use condoms, and not to be afraid to buy or talk about condoms and sexual health. Usually the youth volunteers are involved in talking to other young people about hiv and aids in schools, and also getting involved in public campaigns that are organized on this day. Given the fact that 70% of Rwanda’s population is made up of youths and women, I hope the youths can go a long way in fighting this scourge not only in Rwanda or Africa but around the world!
